Once Again
by Magus732
Summary: With a new full-time member of their team, can the Storm Hawks survive their newest challenge; living with Max? Ch. 25 is up! Please R&R! And visit my profile for Max's info!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Sorry for those who liked my other story better, but I've thought about it, and I'm gonna write this one instead.

Once Again

By Magus732

After a few weeks of training in the _Condor_'s systems and how to maintain and use them, Max was officially signed on as a member of the Storm Hawks. Short-lived as the celebration was, having been interrupted by a brief struggle with Murk Raiders, the others were thankful to have him. Piper liked him for his tactical skills; Aerrow, his melee combat mastery. Finn was jealous because Max was a better shot-on-the-run than he was, with a steadier hand while flying, but he liked having another sharpshooter on the team; he just wouldn't admit it. Junko marveled at his level of mechanical skill; he routinely fixed his own Skimmer, without any help or advice from anyone, and it ran perfectly every time. Radarr respected him, but made no mystery about his feelings. He felt awkward around Max; unlike Junko, Max had a looming presence, one that you felt in your bones. Radarr didn't like being reminded he was small, and that's how he felt around Max. At first, Stork had hated the idea of having his "big brother" on the same team, but he gradually warmed to the idea. They shared a common dislike of Finn, his music, and his jokes.

The other Storm Hawks had also noticed the Onyxian had made a few changes to the _Condor_, and to his routine, since he became a member of the team: he refused to shower anywhere except in his own room (the others, even Stork, showered together in a communal facility); he almost always had his back to a wall; he made _and_ washed all of his own clothes; he bought food for himself and prepared his own meals, refusing to eat anything that anyone else made; he let no one into his room after he changed the locks; and every night, he armed a custom-built trap, a series of pressure plates hiding pairs of eruption crystals, randomly dispersed throughout his room, and said "If anyone needs me, knock first."

He'd been even more secretive about his daily routine than Stork had been when _he_ first came on board. No one really knew what he did behind his always closed door. It worried them all at first, but when Aerrow asked him about it, Max merely glared and said "It's my privacy. I'll use it however I please. I'll involve you if I deem it necessary." He hated being told how to do his job, but genuinely respected Aerrow's authority as a leader.

He and Starling had decided to keep their relationship strictly professional, after briefly exploring a romance that ended with a one-night stand. They worked extremely well together in the field, but, ironically enough, they were always at odds about where their Skimmers sat in the hangar bay. Max preferred having his on the left side of the bay, near the door; his custom-designed vehicle was much tougher than the others', and he wanted to be able to deploy quickly if he was needed. Starling preferred the same location because it was where she had her Skimmer when she was with the Interceptors. To Aerrow and the others, this wasn't worth fighting over, and he and Piper saw their romantic feelings for each other shine through when they fought. They also seemed to enjoy fighting, a feeling none of the rest of them really understood.

One day, Aerrow decided he'd try again to break the ice. He walked over to Max, who was busy working on his Skimmer. He seemed to be humming softly to himself, a song Aerrow didn't recognize.

"Hey, Max..." The tall Onyxian spun around, hands at his waist before Aerrow could even react. Thankfully, he realized it was only Aerrow, and he quietly mumbled something to himself before responding.

"Oh... Aerrow... I thought you were... never mind." He returned to his skimmer, trying to ignore the redhead. Aerrow, however, had questions he wanted answered.

"What kind of Skimmer is that? I've never seen anything like it before..." Max looked over his shoulder at Aerrow, then returned to his work, tightening a bolt on the rear wheel. A wrench that had clamored to the floor when Max was startled suddenly seemed to reappear in his hand.

"It's an Air Skimmer III Ultimate... only sold on Terra Onyx. Solid Zaractian steel frame and body, onboard shield generator, rapid deployment wings, a levitation crystal providing power to a pair of hovering thrusters, 4 blasters, 1 in each wing root, full-span elevons on each wing's trailing edge, and, of course, 360 degree tracking radar." As he continued to rattle off the specs of his vehicle, Aerrow wondered how much something like that would cost. He had inherited his Skimmer, and the others had purchased used ones and modified them to their liking.

"You're wondering how I can afford a Skimmer like this, aren't you?" Max gave the redhead a devilish grin, one that bore an eerie resemblance to Stork's. He had noticed that Max and Stork shared many physical traits. The most notable was their hair; long and black, somewhat greasy in appearance and with bangs that hung down over one eye. Max also shared Stork's black fingernails, something the others never truly enjoyed seeing. It was a constant reminder that Max and Stork were far from human on the outside (and, for the most part, on the inside). Max interrupted Aerrow's thoughts with a snap of his long fingers. The Sky Knight jumped slightly in surprise.

"Am I... boring you?" His left eye twitched ever so slightly; it was barely noticeable, but definitely there if you looked hard enough.

"No, no, it's not that... it's just, I was thinking about how much you and Stork are alike..." He smiled nervously as Max stood to his full height, trying to diffuse the natural awkwardness that came with confronting someone _that_ much taller than him.

"I see... well, you probably forgot about our love of sandcakes..." He smiled slightly, and began pulling his Skimmer over to its spot.

Aerrow thought for a second, then, remembering Stork's appetite for Piper's sandcakes, guessed it must be a common thing on both their terras. Little did Aerrow know, their newly expanded squadron would be tested like never before.


	2. Chapter 2

Max's POV

_I swear, if I have to hear _one_ more lecture about not breaking someone's things, as worth it as it was to stop that horrid assault on my ears that Finn calls "music", I will _vomit_..._

As Aerrow walked over, I steeled myself for the inevitable barrage of questions. Pretending to be minding my own business, I causally hum "Traloor's Symphony #12".

"Hey, Max..."

I jumped reflexively, not expecting him to be so _close_... I complained to myself as he watched me. _He_ just_ doesn't give up, does he? Damn kid never learns._

"Oh, Aerrow... I thought you were... never mind." I returned to my work, trying to tighten a stubborn bolt on the rear wheel. I heard Aerrow _not_ leaving, and prepared to answer another round of questions.

"What kind of skimmer is that? I've never seen anything like it..." I was taken aback. _Innocent enough... I suppose that I can trust him with that information..._

"It's an Air Skimmer III Ultimate... only sold on Terra Onyx. Solid Zaractian steel frame and body, onboard shield generator, rapid deployment wings, a levitation crystal providing power to a pair of hovering thrusters, 4 blasters, 1 in each wing root, full-span elevons on each wing's trailing edge, and, of course, 360 degree tracking radar." I continued rattling off the specs. He seemed to be in deep thought when I looked back up from it.

"You're wondering how I can afford a Skimmer like this, aren't you?" I wondered out loud, not realizing he was still conversing with himself. So, secure in the knowledge I was still being listened to, I began to tell him about how, after my father died, I gained a massive inheritance, to spend however I saw fit. _That was a long time ago. I haven't thought about that day in years._

He must've grown bored really quick, though, because he spaced out after about 30 seconds. He was... _staring_ at me, like his brain just stopped working in mid-thought. I snapped him out of his daze. Literally. I nearly laughed when I saw him jump in surprise.

"Am I... boring you?" I saw him narrow his eyes a bit, focusing in on something. _Damn. My eye must've been twitching. I thought I'd learned how to stop doing that 12 years ago. Guess I need a bit more practice._

"No, no, it's not that... it's just, I was thinking about how much you and Stork are alike..." He smiled nervously as I stood up. _Maybe he thinks I'm going to kill him. I mean, I guess he has a point, Stork and I being alike and all. We both share a distant ancestor, I suppose. We're not related by blood unless you go back far enough, since we're only foster brothers. I still don't like that he calls me "big brother". Who's Stork kidding? We're about the same age! Well, I'd hate for our leader to be afraid of me. Although, it could just be because I'm taller than him. I never really thought about it before. It's not like I planned it that way. I think maybe I'll end his misery now, before he starts questioning my sanity the way Finn and Junko do. Is it so wrong of me to enjoy Merb cabbage? It's not my fault it tastes good._

"I see... well, you probably forgot about our love of sandcakes..." I flashed him a small smile before I began dragging my Skimmer back to its spot._ Mmm... sandcakes... You know, maybe I should tell him about... nah. I think I'll let them sweat it out._


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Short chapter, but it sets up the next chapter's scenery...

Max's POV

_Log Entry #37972 _

According to Aerrow, apparently I crossed a line yesterday... it's not like I was trying to hurt Finn, it just worked out that way. How was I supposed to know his Skimmer was so weak structurally? I mean, seriously, how hard is it to avoid a head-on pass?

Anyway, as "punishment", Aerrow's put me on "Stork" duty, which basically consists of making sure Stork doesn't freak out every five minutes the others are gone. I hate seeing Stork upset over them not coming back quickly, but it's hardly a job in and of itself.

So far, Stork and I haven't spent any time "bonding"... ugh, it just sounds so... touchy-feely... and I know Stork wouldn't like it either, so... nope, no bonding... feels good to say no to Aerrow's orders sometimes... he thinks I'm actually spending every waking moment with Stork when it's just the two of us on board... yeah, right, like that'll happen... although, we _have_ been spending some time together, it hasn't been a lot... we're both still uncomfortable talking about ourselves, I think... I know I'm still getting use to his paranoid ranting... hehe, I've kinda missed that...

Stork's POV

_Log Entry #39727_

Max snapped Finn's Skimmer in half yesterday during a game of "Aerial Keep Away"... that was funny... but I think Aerrow missed the humor, since he decided to make him "babysit" the _Condor_ with me... I think Max'll make a great partner here... he's quiet, knows when not to say anything... he shares my interest in music... speaking of which, he broke Finn's guitar this morning... I swear, he must really _hate_ Finn, or something... maybe he still feels uncomfortable around humans... although Starling still catches his attention... hehe, I think he still has the "hots" for her, as Finn would say... she's a good person, I've got nothing against her... although, sometimes I wonder why she agreed to join us after turning Aerrow down before... I don't know... I've run out of mind worm detection kits... need to get some more, before we're all infected...


	4. Chapter 4

Max's POV

As I sat reading the instruction manual for the control console at the back of the bridge, scratching my head a little (_it itches... seriously..._), I heard Stork sigh behind me. _Great... now what? He's been doing that all morning!_

"What's wrong now, Stork?" I asked absently, and his response was both swift and unexpected. He yanked back on the controls, knocking us both off our feet. _This is gonna be a good one..._

"Max!? I hate it when you do that! Who knows what horrors the others are gonna bring back with them!? I don't need my own brother scaring the hell out of me!" Stork crossed his arms in front of him and turned around. _He's pouting... yeah, that's cute..._

Rolling my eyes, I responded, "I didn't _do_ anything, you lunatic! I was minding my own business, you sighed, I asked what was wrong, and you suddenly decided to turn the _Condor_ into a roller coaster ride!" As I stood back up, dusting myself off, I realized how close we were; literally inches from each others' faces. _I wonder if he noticed..._

"You know how easy it is to startle someone who doesn't know you're there!" He backed away a little, only to point his finger in my face. _Okay, that's it... I don't care if he _is_ my brother... _NOBODY_ points their finger in my face and gets away with it..._

I grabbed his arm and slammed my fist into his chest, knocking him back into the wall with a sickening crunch, with Stork adding his yelp of pain to the sound of his body hitting the wall. When he recovered from being stunned, he looked at me with a confused look on his face.

"Don't _ever_ put your finger in my face!" I barked loudly. As he slowly got back up, bracing himself against the wall for support, I realized just how much I'd overreacted. I shook my head, trying to regain my composure, but I saw he was already back on his feet. I then tried to apologize.

"Stork, I-"

"It's okay, Max... I know you didn't mean to do that..." His voice sounded so sad, like I'd hurt more than just his body. _Oh, _please_ tell me that I didn't just alienate my own brother!_

"You sure you're alright?" _Damnit! I need to stop doing that... wait, why does this bother me so much? I mean, it's never bothered me _this_ much before, although I don't want to hurt _Stork_, of all people... maybe that's it... I feel so bad because I could've hurt Stork... maybe I should tell him... wait, what the hell am I _thinking_? What am I going to say to him? "Oh, hey, Stork, since you're my brother, I feel bad for nearly killing you..." Yeah, that would go over well..._

Stork's POV

_What the _hell_ just happened? I try to make my point, and he throws me against the wall... so much for "brotherly love"... although, that's the first concerned look I've ever seen on his face... was he worried about _me_? _

"Yeah, Max... I'll be alright..." I shook my head hard, trying to clear my blurry vision. _Man, that hurt so badly... I think that I should sit down..._

And, of course, as soon as I took a step away from the wall, my legs gave out. In that instant, Max was at my side, his hands on my shoulders, helping me back to my feet.

"Stork, c'mon... let's get you into a chair..." He helped me over to the nearest seat, up against the side wall. _I can't believe Mr. Emotionless cares about me this much... man, what a relieve I'll die later instead of because my caring brother overreacted to something I did... oh, god, my back!_

I doubled over in pain, Max staying right beside me the whole time, that worried look on his face constant.

"Stork!" His voice softened, and, for a moment, his eyes showed the guilt he felt.

Max's POV

_Oh, god! I've broken his back, haven't I? Oh... the others are going to _kill _me when they find out... unless they don't find out... oh, who am I _kidding_? Stork _not _at his post is going to raise questions, no matter _why_ he's not there... I better do something, or he could become paralyzed..._

I layed him down on the floor, and pressed my hand against his back softly, trying to find the problem. _Here it is... I've knocked one of his vertebrae out of alignment..._

I softly massaged his back, trying to ease the pain, before slamming my open palm against him, forcing his spine back into place with a loud snap. I heard Stork scream in pain, but then, to my relieve, he sighed softly to himself.

"Better?" I asked hesitantly, but he nodded softly.

"Thanks, Max... for a minute, I thought I was doomed..." As he stood back up – with my help, of course – he smiled a little, still a little woozy from the landing against the wall.

"I'd never let anything happen to my baby brother..." I smile a bit myself, tears falling from my eyes. As his eyebrow shot up, I realized I was crying, and I turned away as fast as I could, sniffling a little as I tried to hold back my feelings. I was surprised when he turned me around, to look up into my eyes. Then, he did something I never thought he would do, ever. He hugged me. I cried harder, not caring who saw.

"It's okay, Max... it's okay..." He held me against him as best he could, supporting my weight as I leaned against him. I didn't even realize I was leaning against him until I heard Aerrow clear his throat behind us. My head shot up faster as lightning. _Oh, god... please tell me they didn't see that..._

"Do you two need a minute?" Finn remarked, and Stork released me from his embrace, as we both turned away from each other.

"No..." I said, in the sternest voice I could manage. I must not have sounded as tough as I intended, because both Starling and Piper giggled softly to themselves.

"What're you all staring at!? Haven't you seen a hug before!?" I stormed off the bridge, knocking Finn right on his ass as I strode by. I heard Stork's laughter follow me down the hallway, and I smiled to myself. _Well, I guess being open isn't _that_ bad..._


	5. Chapter 5

Aerrow's POV

_I can't believe Max nearly killed Stork yesterday because he pointed his finger in his face. What a stupid reason to do something. Then again, he _did _manage to keep Stork from being badly hurt... I don't know... maybe I should talk to him about some time away from the rest of us... let him clear his head after his last job..._

"Aerrow, are you okay?" Junko's voice brought me back to reality. I was standing at the briefing table on the bridge. Junko and Finn were staring at me like I'd grown another head.

"Sorry, Junko... I was just thinking about what to do with Max..." I tried to hide my concern, but they both saw through.

"I don't think you should do anything, dude... y'know, maybe he'll just mellow out on his own..." Finn gave me a thumbs up, only to recoil in pain. He still had a few injuries to get over after his "run-in" with Max.

"I don't know... he's pretty dangerous to be around... especially for you, Finn..." I smirked, and he just scoffed. _Typical Finn... something's not a problem 'til it bites you in the ass... literally..._

"C'mon, I know he didn't mean to run into me... he was upset... I'm not stupid, you know..." I nearly laughed as he said this.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Piper chimed in, with Stork in tow. Max remained absent.

"Hey, Piper... Stork... how you feeling, by the way?"

"Oh, I've been better..." Stork mumbled pathetically. That's how I knew he was fine.

"Come on, at least it wasn't any worse... he knew how to put your spine back in place without surgery... that's a hard thing to do on a human, let alone a Merb..." Piper reminded him. She always seemed to know what to say to get you riled up, but she also knew what she was talking about. Most of the time, at least.

"Well, I guess you're right...I still think it was a little... unwarranted." He took his position at the helm. I merely shrugged.

"I don't know about you guys, but Max is a pretty dangerous guy to be around... I think we need to decide on whether he's worth the risk." I tried to sound convincing, but they saw through my façade.

"He makes a few mistakes, and you want to kick him off the team?" Junko said. I was taken aback. I put my hands up defensively, trying to calm them all down. I was now being stared at by four very angry people, and it made me want to jump out the window so I could get away.

"No, no, nothing like that... I agree, he's a valuable member of our squadron, but he's reckless... a little too reckless... I think maybe we should-"

"No way, Aerrow... you're not gonna throw away the best thing that's happened to us since we became an official squadron just because you're jealous-" That's when I snapped.

"You guys don't get it, do you!? He breaks Finn's Skimmer during training, nearly kills Stork over a misunderstanding, and to top it all off, he doesn't seem to care whether he hurts anyone or not! I don't want him here if he's gonna put us all at risk!" I panted heavily, trying to control myself. The others stared, wide eyed; I'd never lost control like that before. I tried to calm down.

"I don't have a problem with him as a person, but he doesn't understand his actions can hurt others, especially his own teammates... someone like that isn't who I want on this ship with us..." I bowed my head, and headed toward the exit, but I never made it. Stork was in my face when I looked up to see who was blocking my way out.

"Oh, it's gonna be like that, is it!? So it's okay if you or Finn or anybody else purposely puts us near the edge of doom, but when he does it accidently, he's gone too far!? Is that what I'm hearing!?" I heard his foot stomp loudly on the metal floor, emphasizing his anger. I backed up a little, not trying to make things any worse.

"I've been very patient with you four putting me at risk, on purpose, for one stupid reason or another... but you are _not_ gonna use that as an excuse to get rid of the only family I have left!" And everything beyond that got kinda dark. The last thing I remembered was Stork's fist slamming into my face.

When I finally woke up, I was in the medical bay, with Max standing over me, wearing a black cloth mask.

"So, been in any good fights lately?" He said, a huge grin on his face behind the mask. _Man, he _sure_ can be creepy when he wants to..._

"Wha-what happened?" I tried to get up, but a piercing pain ran through my head, and I fell back, nearly blacking out again.

"Yeah, about that... Stork clocked you in the face... Junko carried you here, where I was about to perform a CT scan to make sure there wasn't any brain damage, and that's when you woke up..."

"You mean, you were gonna make sure I was okay?" I asked, beside myself in guilt. He sensed my remorse, and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Aerrow... I know you don't trust me, especially after what I did to Finn's Skimmer... but, if it makes you feel any better, I've ordered another one to replace it... it should be ready in a few hours..." I winced, realizing I was about to make a terrible mistake.

"Max, I... feel terrible... I was about to have you kicked off because you've been too reckless, and here you are, tending to my wounds after your brother rightfully decked me..." He chuckled softly behind the mask. I wasn't sure if he was laughing because I'd been knocked out, or because it was Stork who did it.

"Are you sure you deserved it, Aerrow? I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your position... you were doing what you thought was the right thing to do for your squadron, and I'm not about to hold that against you... Stork, on the other hand... _he_ can hold a grudge..." I chuckled softly myself; I'd never seen Stork hold a grudge for more than a few minutes.

"Are you serious?" He nodded.

"He's _still_ ticked off because I had the last sandcake one night at our foster home, and that was 14 years ago." He laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. That's when the others came in.

"How's he doing, 'doc'?" Piper asked, and Max grinned before pulling off his facemask. The others glared at me when I smiled, and I felt guilty again immediately.

"Don't worry... he'll live to die another day..." He said, which gartered a laugh from Stork. _They share their sense of humor, too... I'll have to remember that..._

"So... are we cool, Max?" The others restarted they glaring, but Max held his hand up to them.

"I had a talk with him, guys... it's fine... everything is _ok_..." Another laugh from Stork, although I'm not sure why he laughed. The others joined me in staring with raised eyebrows.

"Hehe... uh, inside joke..." Stork's cheeks grew a dark green with embarrassment. Max laughed again, patting Stork on the back.

_Maybe next time, I'll talk to Max _before_ discussing anything about him with the others... of course, I don't think there will _be _a next time, at least not anytime soon. _


	6. Chapter 6

Finn's POV

_I don't care what anyone says... it's not fair that I _have_ to scrub the _Condor's _bathroom, while the others get to _choose_ their chores... especially since _Stork_ doesn't have to do anything..._

"Look, Finn... Max and Stork have gone to get your new Skimmer. They'll be back in a few hours. Until then, can you at least _try_ to make yourself useful?" Piper said, eyeing my umbrella drink and lawn chair, as I sat around, waiting for my new ride.

"I guess..." I said, after a few seconds of silence. "What do you need done?"

"Really? No whining, no fight? What's gotten into you?" Piper smirked slyly, and I winced a little, not quite sure how to tell her.

"Max... he told me if I did something stupid while he and Stork are gone, he'd break my _other_ guitar..." I smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, you mean the one that Junko gave you for your birthday last year?"

"Yeah... I only play it on special occasions, since it's one-of-a-kind." Junko had made it out of spare parts, and the funny thing was it sounded pretty good for a homemade guitar. He even made a special case for it and everything.

"Aww... wait, that's why you haven't played it recently? I thought you were hiding it because Max nearly broke down your door trying to get to your normal one." Her smirk persisted.

"No! Well, yeah, but that's not the bigger reason..." I said softly. I tried to sound smooth, but apparently, it didn't work. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Anyway... I need some help with a crystal I'm working on... well, actually, I need a test subject... no offense..." She grinned; she knew full well I wasn't offended.

"None taken, Piper. What do you need me to do?" I asked absently, as she pulled a large grey crystal from her pack.

"Hold still for a second." She ordered, and I nodded. I stood as still as I could manage, and she placed the crystal in my hand.

"Okay, Finn, now hold this and stay still..." She pulled out her goggles, and I heard them slap onto her face softly. She then placed something on top of the crystal, and as we both watched, it began to glow a dim grey, followed by a blinding flash of light. I felt the crystal turn to dust and slip between my fingers. My eyes burned a little when I finally forced them open.

"Piper, what did you do!? I can hardly see anything!" I struggled to find something to brace against, not sure where anything was. I bumped into her, and I felt her hands touch mine. _I guess I wasn't the only one blinded..._

"I don't know, Finn... it was just a really big chroma crystal... it shouldn't have done anything but change your hair and eye color like it normal does..."

"I knew blowing up wasn't a normal thing for a crystal to do..." I tried to sound impressed, but she laughed. At me. To say the least, it hurt a bit.

"Finn... you're so clueless something... of course they're not supposed to explode... who told you that?" I grimaced a little, trying to remember.

"Stork... but now that I look back, I think he only said that so I'd leave him alone..." I scratched the back of my head, and by now my vision had started to come back. _That's better..._

As my eyes readjusted to the light, I saw something I never thought I'd see in a million years; Piper, naked, in the same room with _me_. Of course, I wanted to check her out, but I looked away instead, only catching a glimpse of her body. She was beautiful. Or so I thought. Of course, by now, Piper's vision had come back, and she screamed and covered herself. I raised an eyebrow just before I felt a draft, and then I looked down. _Oh, my God... we're both naked! Oh... why me!? Wait, why's Piper smiling now? _I covered myself with my hands, and she smirked slyly.

"What!?" I was panicking now; she'd been staring at me for a few moments before I came back to reality, but I couldn't understand why.

"No wonder you're always cracking jokes." She said before she giggled again.

"Hey, I'm normal-sized!" I blushed heavily as she pointed to my manhood. _This is bad enough without being humiliated like this... or maybe not..._

"You know, you're not so big yourself, Ms. Know-it-all..." I managed to get her to turn a deep shade of red before she covered herself up again. She shook her head as we both broke out laughing like mad people.

"Look, let's just forget this ever happened. Deal?" She held out her hand, and I gladly shook hers before we both left for our own rooms, almost lighting the hallway on fire, as fast as we were going. I finally reached my room, and put on a spare uniform just as I heard Aerrow's voice over the intercom.

"Hey, Finn... come take a look at your new sky ride..." He said in between giggles.

When I arrived at the hangar bay, with Piper just behind me, my jaw hit the floor.

"Am I good, or am I good?" I heard Stork say as Max strode up behind him.

"You're lucky Stork was there, Finn... I would never have gotten the details perfect..." They both broke out laughing, after which Junko, Piper and Radarr joined in. I was mad as hell. My new Skimmer... it was bright pink!

"What the hell, man!?" I was ready to hit somebody. _I am _NOT_ riding that thing into battle..._

"Relax, Finn... this isn't your new Skimmer... this is..." Aerrow pulled off a cover; the pink tarp that covered my new Skimmer. That's when my jaw dropped again. It looked exactly like my old one, right down to the little rust spot on the rear mudguard and the faded paint on the headlight housing. It was... perfect!

"Dude, no way! It looks just like my old one..." I blinked in disbelief.

"Like I said, Finn, if Stork hadn't been there to help, I probably would've gotten a few of the details wrong..." Max walked over and handed me a thin book.

"What's this?" I held the book away from me, not sure what it was yet.

"It's an instruction manual. Your old Skimmer didn't have one when you got it, so Max and I thought we'd go the extra mile..." Stork droned, with Max nodding his head as he stood behind him.

"Dude, thanks!" I ran up and hugged the Merb. Judging from his reaction, he never thought I'd do that.

"Hey-hey-hey! Watch the hair!" I heard him groan, but I knew he didn't mean it. He didn't struggle to get away, so I knew it wasn't that bad. I finally let him go, feeling a little awkward. When I came face to chest with Max, since he's so much taller than me, he held out his hand.

"Friends?" He offered. I gladly shook it.

"Friends, dude!" I nodded. _Told you that he didn't mean it..._


	7. Chapter 7

Piper's POV

_It's now been 3 days since we last heard from Stork and Max... They decided to go on a last-minute shopping spree on Terra Saharr... what I can't understand is why Stork would agree to go... he's never been an outgoing person, so it's hard to tell what the reason is..._

"Hey, Piper. What's going on?" Aerrow snapped me out of my thoughts. I guess he was starting to get worried too.

"Nothing, Aerrow... just waiting like the rest of us..." I sighed softly, not sure we could really do anything until the pair came back. Stork and Max were our two best carrier pilots; no one else could fly this ship like those two could. _Must be a genetic thing..._

"I'm not waiting... I'm gonna go out and look for them soon... interested in a quick trip to Saharr?" He flashed me his patented "Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing" smile. I couldn't help but laugh. He stared at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Was it something I said?" He scratched the back of his neck in confusion. I shook my head.

"No, it's just... that smile's gotten us into a lot of trouble, you know..."

"Well... but... really?" He seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Yep. Every time you've flashed that smile, something bad has happened to us. I think Stork called it a 'smile of doom'." He chuckled a bit.

"That sounds like something Stork would say... but, how can you take his word for it? It's not like he's any smile expert or anything..." He retorted playfully. I giggled a bit. _Yeah, but _he_ hasn't tried to cheer us up and then failed..._

"I guess you're right..." I said, trying to get him riled up again.

"What, you don't believe me? When have _you_ ever seen him smile when the rest of us did?" I opened my mouth and raised my pointed finger, but he cut me off.

"Without it being something _he_ said or did... that doesn't count..."

"Oh... actually, that's a good question..." I admitted, not sure what Aerrow meant by "smile". Stork usually _smirks_ instead of smiling. _It must be easier for him to deal with something if his face doesn't show any happy..._

"Hey, guys, they're back..." Finn said over the intercom. "That means we can finally get out of here!"

"Easy, Finn... we need to give Piper time to harmonize the crystals before they go into the core." Aerrow spoke into the mike he was holding.

"Aww, c'mon! Are you serious!?" Finn whined. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the mike from Aerrow.

"Yes, Finn... he _is_ serious... without harmonizing them properly, they could very well explode instead of providing us power." I felt confident even _Finn_ knew how important not blowing up was.

"A situation _I_ would like to avoid, thank you very much..." Stork droned through the speaker.

"Most decidedly a bad thing to die when we just got started living..." Max boomed. I hadn't heard Max for awhile, and I was beginning to wonder what those two were doing in the hangar bay.

"Guys, what's the holdup? I need those crystals-" Max interrupted me.

"Stork kind of... needs a break..." Max hesitantly reported.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Everything's fine... we just... need a minute..." I could tell when Max was lying, because, like Stork, he avoided answering rather than trying to deny something directly.

"Alright, if you say so..." I headed that way, with Aerrow in tow. When we arrived at the hangar bay, we saw an somewhat inspiring sight; Max holding a thick gauze bandage over Stork's shoulder, his hands and wrists slick with green blood.

"I told you not to mess with that plant, but _no_... you just _had_ to get bloodberries..."

"How was I supposed to know they belonged to that shopkeeper!? It wasn't exactly labeled..."

"You know better than that, Stork... you should've _asked _first, like I did..." He held up a cloth bag, dripping with some type of red juice.

"No way!" Stork's eyes were as big as saucers. "You mean that you-"

"Bought them after you nearly lost your arm? Absolutely... I couldn't let all that bloodshed amount to nothing, now, could I?" His smile was pretty creepy, but it still showed his happiness that Stork was alright.

"Aww... isn't that sweet?" I said playfully. They both turned to glare at me, Stork's cheeks growing a bit darker.

"He'll be alright. Here, hold this for a second, would you?" He handed me the bag, and I held it out away from me a bit, trying not to inhale too deeply; they smelled pretty nasty to me, and I wanted nothing to do with them. So, I handed them off to Aerrow.

"Hey! He asked _you_ to hold them, Piper! It's not nice to try and hand it off to someone else just because you don't want to do it!" He said, but he held on to them anyway. I winked to him playfully.

"Maybe I'll owe you one for it..." I smirked, as slyly as I could manage. His cheeks reddened as he held the bag out away from him.

"Need any help, Max?" He was busy sewing up Stork's shoulder with a needle and some thread that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Nope... just make sure Aerrow takes good care of those bloodberries... I'm making a pie later..." He smiled a bit and then returned to his work, hearing Stork hiss in pain.

"Ah! Watch what you're doing! You could hit an artery!" Stork whined. Max rolled his eyes.

"That wouldn't kill _you_, Stork... with my luck, you'd live to complain about it later..." He smiled playfully, and Stork chuckled a bit.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? You don't like having me around, big brother?" Stork retorted slyly, and Max let out a soft chuckle of his own.

"Not at all... I'd be the one who'd have to drive the ship if you died, and I'd rather not add _another_ job to my list, if it's all the same to you..." Both of them chuckled softly; I'd never seen Max engage in witty banter with anyone before, and it made me wonder why he tried to hide that part of himself from the rest of us.

"Fine, fine... I'll _try_ not to disappoint you, Max..." Stork sighed softly, closing his eyes a bit.

"Don't worry, baby brother... you could never disappoint me... although, you come pretty close sometimes..." He replied, and then he laughed loudly, Stork joining him when he caught on to Max's joke. I didn't get it, but Stork thought it was funny, so it must've been a joke of some kind. Finally, he finished sewing up Stork's shoulder, and he wiped the blood off the both of them.

"How long until Stork's able to fly, Max?" Aerrow finally spoke up; I'd almost forgotten he was still there.

"A few hours, and he'll be good to go... until then, I expect to see _you_ off of your feet..." He said after turning to Stork, who nodded softly as they walked out together.

"Well... that was heartwarming, wasn't it?" Finn said from behind us.

"Don't be that way, Finn... you don't know how hard it must be for Max to open up in front of us like that..."

"I know, Piper... it's just... the guy's kind of creepy sometimes..." He said hesitantly. Aerrow and I both nodded.

"I understand what you're saying, Finn... just, _try_ not to say anything when he's around... we wouldn't want to hurt his feelings..." Aerrow responded softly. I nodded.

"Yeah... the last thing he needs right now is to be reminded he's not human... it's what makes he feel so isolated..." I chimed in.

"Okay... I think I can do that..." Finn replied honestly. I was taken aback.

"You mean, you're _not_ gonna try to pull pranks on him like you did with Stork when he first joined us?" Aerrow said slyly. Finn shook his head.

"No way, dude... even _I'm_ not that stupid..." Finn's cheeks reddened a bit when he realized what he was saying. Aerrow and I both started laughing, but deep down, I knew Finn, at least for now, was being totally serious. I could only wonder what else could happen to make Max's stay interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Thanks to claireXstork for some inspiration... tweaked your idea some, hun, but I still liked it...

Stork's POV

_Well, yesterday could have gone better... I mean, there I was, minding my own business, when suddenly..._

"Stork!?" Max yelled, trying to get my attention. I jumped reflexively and then glared at him.

"What!?"

"How's the shoulder?" He pointed to the bandage on my left shoulder. I raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't hurt, if that's what you're wondering..." I said cautiously. He patted my back softly. _Weird... but at least he cares... the others didn't even _say_ anything to me about it... except for Aerrow, although he seemed to be more interested in when I could get back to my job than how I was feeling..._

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I... have a question for you..." I said hesitantly. _How do I break the news that I like Piper the way he likes Starling?_

"Alright, I'm listening..." He said absently; I put the ship on autopilot and turned around to see him organizing some of the supplies we brought back from our trip.

"Let's say I had an interest in a certain... someone... and I didn't know whether they shared those feelings or not... what should I do to make them notice me?" I waited for his response. He laughed. He _openly_ laughed. It hurt at first, but when he turned around to face me, I knew something else was going on.

"Ah, Stork... so you're finally ready to make your move on Piper, are you?" He said, his grin slightly off-putting.

"What!? What makes you say Piper?" I said nervously. He saw through my charade.

"Come on, Stork... it's nothing to be ashamed of... she's a desirable human female, intelligent and aesthetically pleasing..." He smiled bigger, if that were possible.

Meanwhile...

Piper's POV

"Hey, Starling?" I turned to face the veteran Sky Knight, who was sitting at a table a few feet away.

"What is it, Piper?" Her soft voice made me a little uneasy. _How am I supposed to tell Starling I have feelings for _Stork_? Everybody must think I like Aerrow, especially after all this time without talking to anyone about it..._

"What do you think of Stork?" I tried to sound casual, but she couldn't be fooled.

"Interesting question... but I think a better one is: what do _you_ think of him?" Her sly smirk didn't help the awkwardness.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked, as defiantly as I could manage, but I'd been had.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Piper... he's a good person, a skilled pilot, kind of cute..."

Stork's POV

"How do I get her to notice me?" I tried to sound as confident as I could, but I was still nervous talking about it.

"I don't think that will be a problem, Stork... _she's_ noticed _you_..." He said with a smirk. I was taken aback.

"Really?"

"I'm not surprised you haven't noticed... I've been here for only a few months, and she's flirted with both you _and_ Aerrow... strange as it may sound, Stork, she's been trying to tell you for a while now... you just haven't picked up on it..."

Piper's POV

"Did you enjoy your time with Max, Starling?" I tried to change the subject, and I was surprised when she actually answered my question honestly.

"Truth be told, Piper... the sex was wonderful..." Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. _Did she just...?_

"Uh... that's not what I asked, Starling... hehe..." As awkward as that was, I tried not to sound creeped out by her admission.

"Well, hun, you've got to remember that Max is a lot stronger than most guys-"

"Okay... _way_ too much information..." I stopped her before things got any creepier.

"Sorry, Piper... to answer your question, yes, I did... Onyxians have different ideas on what is considered romantic, but, other than that, it was great... he's really sweet, deep down... and I think Stork is, too..."

"Oh... so, you think I should go for it?"

Stork's POV

"Should I... tell her how I feel?" I was still a bit nervous, but Max, as always, found a way to make it easier to talk about things.

"Absolutely... she deserves to know, Stork..." He nodded softly.

"Yeah, but... what if she doesn't like me back?"

"That's the chance you take..." He shrugged. I felt it wasn't very helpful.

"How...? When did you...?" I struggled to ask what I wanted to ask.

"How'dyoukeepStarlinginterested?" I said quickly, hoping I wouldn't have to repeat myself.

"How? Well, after the first time in bed, she was putty in my hands..." He smiled slyly. I gave him a disgusted groan.

"_Not_ what I wanted to know..." I mumbled.

"Maybe not, but my point is this; make sure you have something she wants..."

Piper's POV

"You have to keep him interested in the relationship... do something unexpected you know he'd enjoy... for instance, on our second date, Max took us out to an expensive restaurant on Terra Atmosia, and paid for the whole thing himself... I wanted him to pay for his half, like most couples did, but since he didn't know he was expected to, he didn't on our first date... needless to say, he made up for it..." She blushed a bit more. I'd never seen Starling this way about anyone; absolutely flustered. I was afraid she'd pass out from all the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Stork's POV

"We spent an evening, just the two of us, on our third date... I got a bit... drunk..." He shuffled his feet nervously. He'd never been _this_ open about his relationships before. I couldn't help but listen to his story.

"And?" I asked, trying to keep him going.

"And... well... I don't remember much after that... now that I think about it, I never _did_ find that set of keys I was looking for that morning... I had to have another set made for my skimmer..."

Piper's POV

She chuckled softly. "He go _so_ drunk on our third date, he couldn't stand up, let alone fly home... I gave him a ride to a hotel for the night, and I ended up staying to keep him company... the next morning, after he'd left, I found his keys in my bra..." She chuckled louder.

"Um, Starling... is this leading somewhere, or are you just reminiscing about your past?"

"I'm sorry, Piper... I guess I never really moved on after we decided to go steady..." She smiled.

"Well, maybe we could double date, then... Stork and I, and you and Max..." I said slyly, not sure what she would say.

"Really? Piper, I don't know... it's been a while since I've dated anyone..."

"C'mon, Starling... I'll bet that he still has feelings for you..." I spoke in a sing-songy voice, trying to coax her into agreeing.

"Well, alright... I suppose I can survive one night with him..." She gave me a playful smile that said she was kidding.

"Great... should I tell him, or should _you_?" I asked. She blushed.

"Why don't you _invite_ him along when you ask Stork out?" She retorted playfully. We both giggled, and I nodded.

"Alright, Starling... it's a date..."

Stork's POV

"Look, why don't we just forget we had this talk... my head is filled with unpleasant images..." I rubbed my temples, trying to expel said images from my mind. Just then, Piper peeked around the corner.

"Oh... there you guys are..." She said softly, her voice a bit nervous.

"Whatcha need, Piper?" Max asked confidently.

"I need you to go with Starling on a double date... with Stork and I... if that's okay, Stork..." Her beautiful smile had won me over. I heard only about half of what she actually said. Or rather, only half of it registered.

"S-sure, Piper... I'd be honored..." I said nervously. She giggled a bit as I blushed.

"Great... both of you, be in formal dress and in the hangar bay in an hour... I'll tell Aerrow and the others what's going on..." She winked at me as she left, and I couldn't help but jump up and cry out in excitement. Max laughed a bit, then walked over and smiled.

"Well... maybe you _shouldn't_ forget about our little chat, huh?"


	9. Chapter 9

Max's POV

_Sometimes, humans are full of surprises... sometimes, they aren't... last night, sitting at the table with Starling was like being with my mother... I felt no connection, and I know that she didn't feel one either... so, we just enjoyed the evening together... and we watched the 2 children bicker about stupid things... like silverware... and napkins..._

"So... have fun last night?" Finn tried to lighten the tense mood that flooded the bridge like so much water. I snarled a bit, trying to keep calm.

"Not exactly..." Starling said, somewhat hesitantly.

"C'mon... 2 old flames... romantic dinner by candlelight... you're tellin' me nothin' happened between you guys?" Finn said suggestively. I rolled my eyes.

"Finn, Max and I don't have those feelings for each other anymore... we found that out last night..."

"Too much time apart, I think..." I spoke up finally. I was mad as hell that Stork and Piper couldn't be civilized. In fact, I felt a need to discipline Stork as though he'd done something wrong. Didn't know why, and I didn't really care. I did anyway.

"What the hell was that, huh? Is that any way to treat a lady?" I held Stork by his left ear. I knew from personal experience how much it hurt.

"Max... let go... that hurts..."

"Good... maybe next time, you'll remember that ruining a perfectly good cocktail dress is no way to solve a dispute..." Little did I know, Starling was giving Piper a chewing out of her own...

"Why in the name of Atmos would you waste a perfect plate of Stromboli fighting with Stork?" Starling held up Piper's dress, looking at the massive stain of red wine.

"He started it! He shouldn't have ruined my dress."

"You shouldn't have called him a two-timing bastard!"

...

"She shouldn't have-"

"She wasn't the one who started it, you moron... _you _did, when you called her a sack-hopping hussy..."

"Well... I won't apologize for saying it..."

"Oh, yes, you will... not to me, but to Piper..." Max began dragging the helpless Merb by the ear, down the hallway and into another room.

...

"Where are we going, Starling?"

"_You're_ going to apologize to Stork..."

"I most certainly will not..."

"You _will_, if I have to drag you there, kicking and screaming..." Starling growled through gritted teeth. Neither of the older pair knew that the other was dealing with the problem. So, when the 4 met face-to-face in the hangar bay, Max and Starling both blushed.

"Well, uh... This is awkward..." Starling spoke first, and Max's blush faded slightly.

"Guess we had the same idea, huh?" He drew a bit closer. Neither was sure what was going on, but they had completely forgotten about the 2 young "lovers". And as the older pair broke into a passionate kiss right in front of them, both Stork and Piper recoiled in disgust.

"Okay, you 2... get a room..." Piper closed her eyes and tried not to think too much about it as she and Stork made for the exit.

"So... uh..." Stork tried to engage in a conversation, and Piper sensed his guilt, which reminded her of her own.

"Sorry about what I said last night, Stork... I was outta line... and... I didn't really mean it..."

"Yeah... I'm sorry too, Piper..." Stork stared into her eyes. They grew a bit more nervous as they both began to blush. But, they soon replaced their nervous smiles with genuine ones, and they shared a passionate kiss of their own.

After breaking the kiss, Piper said, "So, uh... you wanna do something... together... sometime?"

"I'd love to, Piper..." Stork kissed her cheek, and the young girl's blush deepened. It was when they heard moaning in the hangar bay that they finally returned to reality.

"Oh, God..." Stork said disgustedly. Piper raised an eyebrow, only having a clue about what was going on in there.

"They're rekindling their romance, aren't they?" Piper said hesitantly.

"Yes... yes, they are... and I for one don't want to get in the way..." He smiled playfully, and kissed her cheek again. They both smiled warmly, and walked down the hallway together, back toward the bridge. It would be... interesting... to explain all this to Aerrow and the others.

Author's Note: Another short chapter... sorry, starting to run low on major plot twists... suggestions welcome...


	10. Chapter 10

Max's POV

I shivered a bit as I stepped out of the shower, the cold air of my room hitting me fairly hard. I shuddered as my put a towel on over my waist. _What the hell's wrong with me today? Don't tell me I'm..._

I frantically wiped the fog off of the mirror, and flicked the vanity lights on. There, staring back at me, was my worst nightmare come true; wrinkles had formed around my mouth. I looked like I'd aged 30 years in my sleep! The bags under my eyes were blatantly visible, and my throat was a bit scratchy. I coughed reflexively, trying to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I didn't wake up. _God, no! Not now! Damnit, I don't believe this!_

I rushed over to my personal med-kit, ripping the cover open with a loud snap. I reached inside to find a syringe filled a thin, blue liquid. I prepared myself for the sharp pain of the needle as I jabbed it into my thigh, making yet another hole. I watched with relief as the fluid flowed into me, and I felt a wave of warmth wash over me as I fell back onto the toilet seat. _Good... one last kit... I hoped I hadn't run out..._

I awoke a few minutes later, eyesight still a bit blurry. I heard a soft knock on the bathroom door.

"Max, is everything alright?" I heard Starling's sweet voice flood my ears.

"Yeah... just fine..." I looked with a frown at my scarred thighs. I'd been doing this for a while now, but I still hadn't gotten use to it.

"Alright, love... I'm going to get some breakfast before I shower... you want me to make you something?" She had no idea what I'd been doing, and I intended to keep it that way.

"No, I'm fine... I'll be out in a minute..."

"Okay, hun..." I heard her shuffle off; she loved these early mornings on a Saturday. Nothing important to do, which lets her lie around and soak up the ambience that is a typical day on the _Condor_. Basically, she stays in our room for awhile, gets out of bed around noon (sometimes later, if we'd had a busy night), and then sits around, letting those beautiful... lungs... go to waste by not using them. She watched with at least a tiny level of amusement, if you could call it that, what the others did on a Saturday morning; Piper and Finn fight over the morning's music selection; Junko fills his stomach; Aerrow and Radarr try to keep order... soft of; and Stork mans the helm, only sometimes, he mixes things up by staging a surprise test of the alarm system. I'm beginning to think he only does that because it can annoy the others.

Finally, I pulled myself up out of my seat, and walked back over to my mirror. The face that looked back at me was the one I'm used to; the one I had on the night before. Seeing how that was done, I chucked the syringe into a special trash can for medical waste, tied off a unrelated bag full of unused syringes, and secretly chucked the whole damn thing into the trash compactor. I chuckled a bit at my own inside joke. I knew Stork hated it when medical waste got into the normal waste. It was a little game he and I played. Sometimes, I'd wake up with orange hair, or a nice mist of Merb cabbage juice all over my floor. Then, I'd return the favor by mixing up his private music collection, that he so tediously catalogs, or by rigging his alarm to go off at 1:36 in the morning, right before he goes to bed. I chuckled louder, and then hissed as a wave of pain ran through my head. For a brief moment, my vision went blank. _Weird... that's never happened before..._

I shook my head, my vision restored, and began to walk back to my room. That's when it hit me; a wave of excruciating pain that brought me to my knees. I moaned weakly as my legs gave out, and clung to the handrail along the hallway. Somehow, I managed to get back to my room and into my bed just before another huge wave hit, this time right in the middle of my head. I muffled my scream of agony; I didn't know what was going on, and I couldn't imagine anyone else knowing either. I turned onto my left side, away from the door, just as another big one hit; this one, however, wasn't a wave of pain. It was a tsunami. I nearly fell out of bed as my arms and legs twitched spasmodically, and I promptly filled the nearest trash can with last night's dinner. As I wiped the vomit from my mouth, I groggily looked over at the door as it slid open. I felt like my lungs were on fire; I was breathing so hard, my diaphragm was starting to hurt. Whoever it was ran over to my side, just before I blacked out again.

To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Starling's POV

_I had never been more scared in my life. When I found Max in bed, pale as a ghost, I knew something was wrong. I didn't even need to ask. He had _never_ been this sick before, and I had no idea what to do to help him... I felt so... helpless..._

"Starling..." His weak voice snapped me back to reality. I quickly turned around, just in time to see Max trying to get out of bed. I'd taken him to the medical bay, and I, of course, had alerted the others, since I had no idea what was wrong. Stork stood beside me, with Piper close behind. Aerrow and the other guys were waiting outside for news. I rushed over to keep him from falling, his legs giving out moments after standing.

"Max, you _need_ to stay in bed... you're too weak to be up and about..." He tried to growl in denial, but it came out as little more than a soft whimper, as weak as he was. After a few tense moments, he reluctantly agreed, and returned to bed. I sighed in relief; he was impossibly stubborn, and I knew I could end up spending the next 3 hours trying to change his mind.

"What good... is sleeping... if I'm just... gonna die anyway?" Max sounded like he was on his last breath; he was wheezing terribly, and it sounded like there was a house on his chest. I stroked his forehead, and nearly took back my hand because he was so hot to the touch. I heard him whimper between breaths, and I leaned in to kiss his cheek, not caring if I caught what he had. Stork angrily protested, of course.

"Starling, what the hell are you doing!? We have no idea what he has! You could be exposing yourself to a deadly illness!" Piper put her hand over his mouth, muffling his paranoid ranting. After about 30 seconds of protest, he finally got the message, and sighed in defeat as he stopped talking.

"Starling, I hate to say this, but... Stork's right... we can't risk anyone else getting sick, especially if they're going to catch this..." Her eyes darted over toward Max, who had gone back to sleep, despite his sharp, painful breathing. I couldn't help but smile slightly; Max was tough, and I had faith he'd pull through. I turned to face them again.

"I'd like to think I know Max a little better than that, Piper... I know a lot about Onyxian physiology for someone who isn't Onyxian..." I flashed a playful smile her way, trying to ease the tension. Apparently, it didn't work.

"I'm sure you do... my problem is; I don't wanna die, especially not from this..." Stork droned absently as he sat next to the bed. I knew he was worried, just like I was, but I couldn't let his paranoia get me down.

"Stork, that's not helping... look, Starling, maybe we should get him back to Onyx so they can-"

"No..." We all looked up to see Max standing on his own, albeit helped up by the bedpost. I started to walk over, but he did the same, twice nearly falling as he stood in front of me.

"I'll be fine... I'll be in our room if anyone needs me..." He began to hobble his way toward the door. I nearly ripped his arm off trying to stop him.

"Oh, no, you're not, Max..." Thankfully, he didn't keep going; I knew he would just drag me down the hallway, as strong as he was. I clung to his upper arm, trying to keep him from changing his mind before I could talk him back into bed.

"You're not strong enough to leave just yet... you nearly died, you know..." I smiled playfully. He returned my smile with one of his own.

"I'll be fine... I just wanted to rest, anyway..." He looked down at my hands with a frown, and I timidly moved them away. I lovingly gripped his shoulders, trying to convince him to stay here, but he just smiled and stroked my cheek.

"Starling, I'll be fine...please, don't keep me here against my will..." He kissed me on the cheek, and I shivered a little as he tried to skirt around me. I grabbed his arm again.

"No one's keeping you here against your will, Max... what I want to know is; what will happen when you leave?" I stood in front of him, both Piper and Stork ready to protest.

"Listen to me, Max... I deserve to know what's going on with the love of my life... if you're not going to tell me what's wrong, I have no choice but to inform Aerrow he has to take you off of active duty..." I eyed him sternly, ensuring that he got the message. He looked absolutely confused; he never thought I would stop him from doing his job. However, I felt that I had no choice.

"Alright, Starling... I'll tell _you_..." He turned to face the others, and Piper nodded, practically shoving Stork out the door as they left. He tried to protest, but she just kept going, not wanting to keep us occupied.

"It's Katarian Syndrome... genetic... I was first diagnosed when I was 4..." He sadly looked at the ground.

"I don't understand..." I said honestly; I didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"It's a genetic disorder that occurs in every 3 out of 4 hybrids... strangely enough, it's not terminal... it just... sucks..." He looked back up at me, and placed his hands on my chest. I moaned a bit in surprise.

"I thought I'd never see these beautiful things again..." He said teasingly, and we both chuckled.

"I'm glad to know you're on your way back to normal..."

"Oh... that reminds me..." He kissed my cheek, and lifted my head up so I could look into his eyes.

"Please don't tell anyone that I... had this... it's not something I want the whole Atmos knowing about... let's just keep it between us..."

"Sure, Max... I understand... but I think you should tell Aerrow... he can keep a secret..." I winked to him, and he nodded softly.

"Alright..." I helped him walk to the door, and he suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong, Max?"

"I'd... like to carry myself, but... I don't want you to let go..." He eyed my helping hands.

"I understand, Max... just show me what you want, love..." We finally reached the door, and I followed his lead. I knew he wanted to remain looking strong in the eyes of the others, but deep down, he wanted my at his side. And that's where I stayed, all the way to our room...


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: At the end, there's some hot and heavy Piper/Stork action (from Stork's POV, of course), so... yeah, just thought I'd get that disclaimer out of the way.

Also, I've begun rethinking my works... I'm starting to feel like my efforts are going to waste... if anybody has any suggestions on how I can pep up my stories, please message me... except on my latest one, "The Return of Talgroth"... I have all the inspiration for that one that I need...

Stork's POV

_So, Max is gonna be fine... sort of... I mean, it's not like he's gonna die suddenly... is it?_

"Hey, Stork..." Max's voice sounded nasally, like he had a cold or something. I watched as he blew his nose on a tissue, and I saw the black blood on it before he threw it into the medical waste can at the back of the bridge.

"Hey, Max... how're you doing?" I said nervously. He didn't seem to pick up on my hesitation, though.

"I've been better, but I'll live..." He sauntered over to me, and I sidestepped his attempt to pat me on the back.

"No offense, Max, but... you're still sick... can't take any chances..." I tried to sound casual, but he knew I was worried about him more than I was about me.

"Nasal hemorrhaging is a normal symptom, Stork. Trust me, if I was contagious, I would've quarantined myself in my room." He said confidently. Of course, I had my doubts.

"Hey, Stork... Max... how're you doing, love?" Starling's soft voice permeated the bridge. She walked over to Max and kissed his cheek. He smiled a little, sniffling softly to clear his nose. I watched as she kissed his other cheek, wiping a bit of dried blood off his face. I cringed; she could be exposing herself to Atmos knows what, and she didn't even care.

"I'm fine... why does everyone keep treating me like a child?" He whined; I'd never seen him so self-conscious before. As bad a line of thinking as it was, it actually made me feel good to know he wasn't immortal. He always seemed to have his own shield of invincibility around him. Knowing he was still capable of getting sick helped to reaffirm my faith in doom.

"It's not like that, hun... we worry about you, that's all... you gave us quite a scare, you know..." She winked playfully, and looped her arm with his. I felt myself getting sick just looking at the disregard for safety they were showing. _Maybe I'll test Starling for mindworms after all..._

"I know... it just seems like everyone's worrying about me, even though I say I'm fine..."

"That's because you don't _sound_ fine, Max..." I chimed in, just before Piper joined us.

"Hey, everyone... Stork, how's it going?" Her overly joyful voice made me cringe a little.

"Oh, everything's great... except the 2 love birds over there are swapping spit, even though Max is sick..." I felt my eye begin to twitch uncontrollably.

"It's not contagious, Stork, or she would have caught it by now... you said so yourself..." Her playful stare made me turn away; she was just trying to push my buttons.

"Ya know what I think?" She whispered in my ear.

"What's that?" I whispered back, not really sure I wanted to know where she was going with this.

"I think you're just jealous... what's the matter, Stork? Have I been neglecting you lately?" She said in a fake sad tone. I felt my cheeks grow hotter as she put her hands on my shoulders. By the time I realized what she was doing, I was knee deep in a sensual massage. I moaned softly as she rubbed, knowing full well this wasn't the place to do this. She started to haul me away, and I pulled clear just long enough to switch on the autopilot before we went crashing down into the Wastelands.

"C'mon, handsome... don't be a workaholic on me now..." She teased, and I felt her tongue run along the tip of my ear. I shuddered as I felt her breath wash over my neck, and that was it; I was ready, whether it was gonna happen here or in my room didn't matter anymore, I just needed it to happen. As we quickly walked down the hallway to my room, we helped each other out of our clothes, and by the time we reached the door, we were down to our underwear.

"My, my... I should've seen this coming..." She teased, eyeing my green boxers with little black skulls on them. As we went into the room, I felt her pawing at my boxers, but I kept her away long enough to reach the bed, where I laid her down and got on top of her.

"Oh, Stork... I've never seen you so... forceful..." She cooed, watching as I slowly slid down her panties; bright orange with little pink crystals on them. I thought they were kinda cute. She moaned as I pulled off her matching bra, and I couldn't help but lean in and lick the ends of her erect nipples. She moaned louder, which told me to keep going. I pulled her panties off the rest of the way, and removed my boxers. By now, I was... excited... by what was happening. So, even though there was a lingering doubt as to my survival kicking at the back of my mind, I slowly mounted her, and began to buck my hips in time with her. We both panted as I thrust into her, and I couldn't help but notice the blush on her face. My own cheeks must've been almost black from all the green blood rushing to them; I was so nervous at first, I wasn't sure I could go through with it. Hearing her moan even louder and call out my name helped strengthen my resolve. I thrust harder, her breasts bouncing as she panted louder. It was then that I realized I had forgotten to wear protection. Unfortunately, when I tried to stop, my muscles kept going. I was _so_ into it, I couldn't stop; I had to see it through to the end. I suddenly heard her scream my name, much louder this time, and I felt her walls tighten around me, which brought me to my own orgasm. I sighed as I collapsed on top of her, letting the fatigue of our exploits overcome me. The last thing I remember before I closed my eyes and fell asleep was Piper whispering in my ear:

"I love you, Stork..."


	13. Chapter 13

Max's POV

_Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard being so defensive... I can't help it if I don't like being babied..._

"Hey, Max... how's it going?" Aerrow waltzed over, trying not to sound too concerned.

"I'm alright... trying to stay awake... haven't slept well the last few nights..." My eyelids felt like lead weights; I'd had insomnia before, but not for a long time.

"If you feel like you're gonna conk out, let us know... can't risk sending in a Close Air Support Specialist who can't stay awake..." He smiled slyly. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess you've got a point... that would be rather foolish, wouldn't it?" I nervously scratched the back of my neck, not really sure what to say next. _I've never been very good with small talk..._

"Hey, Stork... how're you doing this fine morning?" Aerrow chimed to the Merb as he lazily walked onto the bridge. He said nothing as he came over to take the helm controls from me. I stood aside slowly, trying to get him to ask before he just took over like that. It didn't work. So, I decided I'd try to fix that.

"Left your manners in your other uniform, did you?" I said slyly. When he didn't answer, I frowned a bit, walking over to see what the problem was.

"Stork, what's wrong with you?" I grunted a bit when he elbowed me in the stomach, hard. When he took a swing at me, my reaction was pure instinct; I grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his stomach, leaning in as I twisted his arm to subdue him, standing on his shoulder as I held his arm behind him, pinning him to the floor.

"What the hell was _that_ for, you maniac!?" I leaned on his shoulder with my full body weight, which made him yell in pain, until I decided to finally release him, satisfied that he was back with us in reality. He stood up slowly, trying to get his bearings back

"I didn't sleep well last night, and I don't know why! I've been trying to find a reason, but nothing I've tested for came back positive!" He ranted as he massaged his now aching shoulder and arm. I raised an eyebrow as he stood there, coddling his sore spots.

"What does _that_ have to do with you being rude!?" I retorted, not sure how that explained his behavior. He shrugged his shoulders, and simply mumbled something I couldn't quite make out.

"What?" I queried. He just stared at me for a few moments, and then looked down at the floor sadly.

"I... wasn't thinking..." He finally said, looking back up at me slowly.

"Stork, if you weren't feeling well, why didn't you just say something?" Aerrow joined in; I'd almost forgotten he was here, as quiet as he was.

"Like I said, I wasn't thinking..." He shrugged his shoulders, turned around to face the helm, and grabbed on as he took the ship off autopilot. I slowly walked closer, not sure what to expect.

"Stork, are you... are you in heat?" I finally said, perhaps the most awkward thing I've ever said in my entire life. He stared at me with huge eyes, and Aerrow cleared his throat from behind me.

"Um, Max... that's... that's a bit personal, don't ya think?" He said hesitantly. I shook my head.

"We need to know what's going on with every crewmember. Otherwise, it's an unwarranted risk." I stepped even closer. He growled a little as I did, which confirmed it for me; he _was_ in heat. _Awww, my baby brother's all grown up and experiencing mood swings, violent territoriality, and unpredictable behavior... how cute..._

"That's what I thought, Stork... we need to get you to the medical bay... you need a booster shot to suppress those urges until you can find a mate..." He shook his head.

"I already have a mate... that's why I didn't sleep well..." I was taken aback; he wasn't usually a very good liar.

"Really? Anyone we know?" I persisted.

"Piper..." He whispered softly. I raised an eyebrow. _Wow... Never thought he'd move _that_ fast..._

"Oh... wow..." Aerrow said behind me. I rolled my eyes.

"Ignore him, Stork... he doesn't understand the way _I_ do..." I rested my hand on his shoulder, trying not to put any pressure on it, in case it was still sore.

"It's not that, Max... it's just... I-I don't know what to do now..." He replied. I raised my eyebrow again.

"You mean, you want more than just a sexual relationship with her, right?" He nodded softly.

"I see... well, did she know you were in heat when she... mated with you?" I asked hesitantly.

"I haven't told her..."

"You need to..."

"I-I can't do that to her-"

"Don't be selfish, Stork... she _needs_ to know about it... especially if you want more than just sex from her ..."

"Is that why you told Starling?" He looked up into my eyes pleadingly. I sighed softly, not sure how to answer.

"Starling kind of figured it out on her own... but, yes, I _did_ tell her... and no, it's _not_ why we went steady..." I replied, trying to calm his fears of rejection. It seemed to work.

"I guess you're right, Max... I just... I don't know what to say..."

"Tell her the truth; don't try to sugarcoat it..." I told him honestly. _Lying only makes it worse for both of you..._

"Look, Stork, it's not going to be easy, but you _have_ to tell her... if you respect her at all, you can't lie..." I said, my voice softening.

"I... understand, Max..." He finally said. I patted his back and walked back over to the meeting table. Aerrow finally spoke up from next to me.

"So... is everything okay now?" He asked, scratching the back of his head confusedly. I nodded softly.

"Yep..." I said confidently. I could _never_ have predicted what happened next. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard, followed by the flickering then fading of the lights and a few girly screams from the crew quarters, along with a loud screech from Radarr.

"What was that!?" Stork yelled, his yellow eyes darting around in panic as the emergency lights kicked in.

"How should _I_ know!? What am I, psychic?" I retorted as I turned to run down the hallway. I never made it.

"Hello, Storm Hawks... mind if we _cut in_?" A familiar voice rang out through the speakers, and the sound of a saw cutting through the bridge sidewall caught my attention. As I turned to see what was going on, a bright flash and the sound of blaster fire against metal filled my eyes and ears. As my attention returned to the wall, I saw a procession of Cyclonians leap in through the hole.

"We're being invaded! Everyone, fight them off!" Aerrow barked from besides me, and as a Cyclonian soldier lunged forward, I sidestepped, threw him a left hook right to the face, and knocked him back through the hole.

"Who else wants some!?" I yelled, a bit too dramatically. The other Cyclonians hesitated, and then ran forward, staves lowered to attack. I pulled the kamas from my waist, and as their blades began to glow a dim black, I held them out in front of me menacingly, only to be caught off guard by the Dark Ace, who jumped through the hole and delivered a solid kick to the side of my head, knocking me back a few feet.

I growled in anger and lunged forward, countering every move he made as he swung his sword relentlessly. He wildly chopped the air in front of me as I dodged his moves, making sure I gave myself plenty of room to pull moves of my own. I swept his feet out from under him, at which he sneered indignantly from his prone position on the floor. He rolled out of the way as I tried to remove his head, and jumped clear as Aerrow came in from the side to strike his exposed back.

I don't know why, but I held back for some reason. Maybe I didn't want to hurt Aerrow or Stork. Maybe I wanted to challenge myself. For whatever reason, I pulled blows as I tried to slice through him, moves which he dodged too easily. As my anger rose, so did my speed. Eventually, he simply couldn't keep pace, and I managed to knock the sword out of his hand, nicking the ends of 3 fingers in the process. He yelped in pain and fell down onto the floor as I stood over him, ready to deliver the coup-de-grace that would end the fight.

Something... stopped me. As I held the blades near his throat, I hesitated, simply unable to kill him. I tried with all my strength to push the blades into his neck, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish him off. He took advantage of my reluctance to knock me to the floor and regain his weapon. I staggered back to my feet, recovering from another kick to the head, and watched as the Cyclonians retreated. The Dark Ace smiled and nodded to me, and then turned his Switchblade to jet away. I stood, dumbstruck; why couldn't I kill him?

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Max's POV

_I don't understand it... why couldn't I kill him? I've never hesitated before... why now?_

"Hey, love... what's going on?" Starling's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I straightened up, standing to my full height to address her.

"Nothing, Starling... I'm fine..." I said softly, trying to avoid worrying her too much.

"Had any luck tracking the Dark Ace?" She walked up beside me, staring at the maps I had sprawled out on the meeting table.

"Not yet... the bastard's cunning... used the storm last night to leave the area without us noticing..." I frowned a bit, trying to find a probable target for their next attack. As Aerrow walked onto the bridge, with Piper in tow closely behind, I quickly rolled up the maps and put them back on the shelf. I knew Piper hated it when the maps were _folded_ instead of _rolled_, but I didn't know how well she'd like someone else using them, and I wasn't willing to deal with the yelling that would likely ensue.

"Hey, Max, Starling... what were you guys doing before we walked in?" Piper raised an eyebrow as I straightened the maps on the shelf, trying to make them look undisturbed.

"Oh, Max was just-"

"Trying to tidy up the bridge... you should have seen it a few minutes ago... total disaster..." I said, somewhat nervously, as Piper grew even more suspicious. _She's not easy to fool... this may not work like I want it to..._

"O...kay... then why were you just-"

"No reason! Just... putting everything back the way it was..." I laughed nervously, trying to tell her to let it go. She didn't get the message.

"But the maps go on that shelf over there..." She pointed to a shelf labeled "maps". I mentally slapped myself. _Damn... I am _so_ busted..._

"Oh... I, uh... I guess I missed that..." I scratched the back of my neck, waiting for her to put 2 and 2 together.

"Wait a second... were you... using my maps?" She said dangerously. I stepped back, ready to sprint for the safety of the hallway if things turned sour. _I may be tough, but I'm _not_ stupid..._

"Yes?" I said hesitantly as I cringed, waiting for her to pounce. It never came.

"Oh, okay... I just wanted to be sure... I didn't remember leaving them out, so-"

"Wait a minute... you _don't_ care that I used your maps without asking, but you _do _care that they're not in the right place!?" I said, flabbergasted. _Why the hell isn't she mad!? She hates it when Finn touches her stuff without asking..._

"It's not that bad, Max... I know you'll take care of them... you're more responsible than a certain blond sharpshooter whose name I don't care to say..." She furled in eyebrows in anger. I stepped clear as she looked the maps over for folds. After a minute or 2, she rolled them back up and walked them over to their rightful place on the appropriately-labeled shelf. _I've _got_ to start paying more attention to those labels... they're going to get me killed someday..._

"Max, you just tried to lie to her..." Starling said after a moment of silence.

"No, I didn't..." I retorted defiantly. As Piper turned back to the meeting table, I stuck my long black tongue out at her, silently blowing a raspberry at her from across the bridge. She huffed indignantly, and crossed her arms in feigned offense. Aerrow and Piper turned to see what was going on, and we turned away from each other, pretending to do something else.

When they turned back to the table, we both began exchanging funny faces, pulling on our eyelids and cheeks as we tried to make each other laugh. It worked a little _too_ well. We both suddenly broke out laughing, and everyone on the bridge, even Stork, who seemed oblivious to all of this until now, was staring at us like we'd lost our minds. Stork zipped over, poking his head up under my arm, and did the same to Starling, looking us over with suspicious glances.

"Yep, it's Hazzarian Laughing Fever... any minute now, there'll be gray matter all over my precious bridge..." His eye twitched nervously.

"No, it's not that..." Starling said as we both settled down.

"It must be-" Stork began again, but I cut him off.

"Time for your nap, Stork... you're starting to hear things..." I smiled nonchalantly, only to realize I just made it worse. _Damn...never tell a nervous Merb he's hearing things..._

"What!? No! I like my ears! They make me beautiful! I won't let you take them away!" He folded them against the sides of his head, holding his hands over them protectively. I rolled my eyes and walked over, knocking on his head softly. He slowly opened his ears and eyes to see what was going on.

"Hey, genius... if you're freaking out over here, then who's...?" I stood back up, looking at the out-of-control helm. We both dove for the controls, clawing at each other to get a hand on it. I won, of course, and promptly held him at bay with one foot on his face. He continued trying to get at the controls, and that's when it hit me; a surge of pain that ran up through my leg. I screamed in agony as I thrashed around, knocking Stork back into the wall. I nursed my bleeding leg, and stared at the Merb angrily.

"You _bit_ me, you little-" Starling held me back as I tried to advance toward him.

"Alright, boys, that's enough..." She put both hands on my chest, looking down at the blood slowly trickling down to my foot.

"You've had your fun... now, kiss and make up so we can treat your leg..." She said worriedly. I stared down at her with widened eyes. When I realized she was only using an expression, I regained my composure. Sighing softly, I muttered "sorry" to him, and he did the same.

"I'm sorry... I didn't quite hear you..." She said, which pushed me a little too far.

"Well, when you gain hearing as acute as ours, then you can complain..." I said slyly. She scoffed and put her hands on her hips, pretending to be offended. Or so I thought. _I'm starting to it when she's like this..._ SLAP! I felt her soft hand slam into my cheek, which brought me back to reality. _Or, maybe not..._

"I can't believe you just said that! Of all the inconsiderate, disrespectful-"

"Starling, I was kidding. It was a _joke_!" I tried to calm her down, and it seemed to work.

"I wish you wouldn't joke like that..." She looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry, love... I'll try not to..." I said softly. She nodded and I kissed her cheek

"So, can I have my ship back now?" Stork said eagerly. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Sure... take your stupid ship..." I said teasingly. He shoved my shoulder playfully, and I chuckled a bit. I leaned over and put pressure on my leg wound.

"Starling, would you get me a-" She held a bandage in her outstretched hand. I smiled a bit. She pulled the cover off and wrapped the adhesive gauze pad around my leg, putting light pressure on it to ensure it would seal. After doing so, she smiled and kissed my cheek. I stood back up straight, and she looped her arm with mine, smiling softly as she eyed my muscles, which flexed under my uniform slightly as I moved my arm. I didn't have a lot of muscle, but I didn't need to. She loved me anyway. _I couldn't believe it when she chose me over everyone else available... I was sure she'd pick-_

"So, can we get back to finding the Dark Ace now?" Aerrow finally said, holding his tongue until the opportune time. I nodded softly, as did Starling beside me. _I suppose we _do _have more important things to do..._

To Be Continued... Again...


	15. Chapter 15

Max's POV

_I never really think about it, but it seems like everyone likes to stare at me... I don't know, maybe I'm imagining things... then again, I _am _different from everyone else... maybe I'm just interesting to look at... _

"Max, you ready?" Aerrow repeated a bit louder, waiting somewhat impatiently for my response. I looked down at my Skimmer's instruments then back up to him as I nodded softly. We took off together, both of us managing to get our Skimmers down the narrow runway at the same time.

I pulled along side the redhead, watching with amusement as he and Radarr led the way to the Dark Ace's newest hideout. We'd finally managed to track him down, but every time we tried to take him down, he'd simply retreat. It made me somewhat apprehensive to fight him, since we never knew what to expect.

"Max, flank around behind him. I don't want him getting away!" Aerrow said blindly, not really paying attention to whether or not I was even listening.

"Right..." I broke formation just as Starling and Junko began making shallow, diving passes at the leading Talons. Piper and Finn took potshots at them from above, while Aerrow flew straight into the group, searching for his nemesis with singular devotion. I flanked the Talon formation as instructed, carefully lining myself up to close off any trailing edge escape routes, slowing to about half-speed to save precious seconds of stealth.

Then, I saw him; the Dark Ace was trailing behind, waiting for the right moment to retreat again. I slowly came up behind, careful not to let him notice my presence, then gunned the engine, roaring up behind them at high speed. He didn't spot me until it was too late, and as I swooped down to attack, I slashed his wingman viciously across the back, splitting his uniform wide open as he yelled in pain. I quickly wheeled around for another pass, and I noticed the Dark Ace himself didn't try to evade me as I swooped in for the kill. This made me wonder; what could he be up to now? _Is it possible that the _Dark Ace_ is giving up?_

"So, you finally found me, did you?" The veteran Talon stared at me with narrow eyes. _Had he been waiting for us?_

"That's right... you knew we'd find you eventually; you can't hide forever..." I retorted, just before slicing off his wingman's left wings at the midpoint, sending him down in a fiery spiral. The Talon leader swung around and slashed the air mere inches from my right arm, which prompted me to turn around and toss a chakram into his right engine, knocking it out, and I caught the weapon as it swung to return.

At this point, things really turned ugly for him. The Dark Ace growled loudly as his Switchblade slowed drastically, and he desperately fought with the sluggish aircraft as I pulled along side. I eyed him slyly before lightly cutting into his right wings, slicing off chunks of the bronze absorption panels. He swung his sword with rage as I toyed with him, slamming into the side of his Switchblade then pulling out of reach. A Talon above and behind dove down to attack, both of his blasters firing wildly, but I dodged with ease after spotting him, letting him nearly collide with his leader. The furious Cyclonian fired a blast with his sword, which I caught with my lower left wing as I turned tightly to evade.

"You're good, Sky Knight... I don't suppose you'd be interested in fighting for Cyclonia, would you?" He said, almost jokingly. I snarled in disgust, and throttled up to slam into his rear, knocking out his other engine.

"This ends now, you bastard... it's about time you gave up!" I jumped onto the upper wing of his crippled Switchblade, kamas in hand, and I ducked a few shots from above. Ravess decided to join the fight, and she was determined to take me out. I fired back, forcing her to break off her attack, not noticing the Dark Ace swiping at my feet. His blade almost missed me, grazing the edge of my ankle before I even realized he'd taken a swing. I ignored the minor pain, slicing through his arm as he screamed in agony. He clutched the deep cut along his upper arm with his free hand, desperately swinging his sword with the other. I slashed open his wrist just as he began to take another swing, and as he let go of his sword, it sailed past me and slammed right into Aerrow's Skimmer.

The aircraft bucked slightly from the impact, before sputtering to a halt and pitching over into a death dive. Before I could react, the Dark Ace kicked me in the chest before he jumped onto another Switchblade, knocking off a fellow Talon to commandeer their ride. I quickly whistled as loudly as I could over the noise of the battle, sheathing my kamas behind my back, and my Skimmer swooped down to let me land back in the saddle. I firewalled the throttle and rolled inverted to dive after Aerrow, picking up speed while creating positive G's. I rolled back over and flew up along side, about 300 feet above the Wastelands.

"Get on!" I shouted over the roar of the volcanoes below. The redhead nodded and jumped clear, Radarr tightly gripping his shoulder as I pitched up into a steep climb, trying to clear the terrain now a few yards below. Aerrow sighed loudly with relief as his Skimmer crashed into the ground just a few feet below us, bursting into an enormous fireball as his crystal-powered engine exploded. I looked him over for wounds then gave him a light slap across the back of the head.

"I almost had him, you idiot! Thanks to you, he's going to get away!" I angrily glared as he and Radarr exchanged confused glances. _That didn't work out the way I planned it... nowhere near as smooth..._

_A Few Minutes Later..._

"You couldn't have waited 5 seconds for me to finish him off!?" I yelled angrily as Aerrow sheepishly stared at the floor.

"Max, Aerrow could've been killed, and you're mad because you saved him?" Starling softly rubbed my tense shoulder, but I pulled away.

"I _almost_ had him, damnit! I could've ended this once and for all, but instead, I had to save a Sky Knight!" I started to leave, only to be stopped by Piper's angry voice behind me.

"There's no way Aerrow could've avoided what happened. He just wanted to help, Max..." She stood next to Stork, hands on her hips. The Merb trembled a little as I spoke, knowing full well that arguing with me usually got you dead.

"I don't need help, Piper! I was learning how to kill people before either of you were even born!"

"We didn't want him dead, Max! That's the point! We wanted to capture him alive, so that he could-"

"So he could what!? Get a fair trial and spend the rest of his life in prison!?" I stormed out, followed closely behind by a persistent Piper.

"You may not see the justice in that, but that's why the Council decides what to do with criminals. They get the same treatment in court that you or I would, because otherwise, we're no better than they are." She followed me down the hallway, and as I turned the corner, leaving the view of those still watching from the bridge, I clamped one hand around her neck and lifted her off the floor, holding her at eye level with me as I tightened my grip around her throat.

"That isn't justice, you self-righteous windbag. _Justice_ is when someone gets what they deserve, and I intend to do what needs to be done, no matter who gets in my way!" I finally released her, letting her drop to the floor loudly as she coughed and panted trying to regain her breath. She stared in horror as I continued down the hallway, slipping into my private gym next to the bedroom I shared with Starling. For the next 3 hours, I said nothing to anyone, not even when Starling came to see how I was doing. I couldn't risk saying something stupid; I was still far too upset to speak calmly. So, for a few more hours, I was left alone.

When I finally went to sleep that night, I realized how little I'd accomplished that day. The Dark Ace was still out there, somewhere; we were once again left to blindly look for him; and despite all the evidence to the contrary, taking down the Dark Ace was the only thing that matter. As soon as he was gone, Cyclonis would be easy prey, and we could finally rid the Atmos of Cyclonia forever, or so we thought. Little did we know, a contingency for just that type of situation was already being developed, and onboard the _Condor_, an uninvited guest decided to make himself known...


	16. Chapter 16

Max's POV

"Max?"

"What, Starling?"

"What're you thinking about right now?"

"Sleep... blissful sleep..." Starling giggled softly.

"No, I mean-"

"I know what you mean, and I'm not telling..." I rolled over in our bed, the darkness surrounding us still there as I opened my eyes. I sighed softly as she rolled over to face my back.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I felt her rub my shoulders softly, and sighed louder.

"Nope... you're gonna have to tell me, if you want me to shut up..."

"I have other ways of shutting you up, hun... don't make me use them..." I warned playfully. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine... be that way..." She said, before softly adding, "ya big meanie..."

"Oh, god, would you _please_ let it go!?" I jumped out of bed, the soft clink of my feet along the floor echoing softly. She got up and turned on the light next to our bed, watching me walk out before getting up and following me.

"Max, wait!"

"I need to clear my head, Starling."

"Then you should put on some pants!" I realized I wasn't wearing anything just a little too late. Thankfully, no one but Starling was awake to see me naked in the hallway. Although...

"Hey, keep it down! Some of us are tryin' to sleep here!" Finn yelled lazily. I growled.

"How about I make you got to sleep _permanently_!?" I yelled back. That shut him up. I caught the pants Starling threw to me and wandered further down the hall, stopping in front of the hangar bay door. I put my ear to it, waiting to see if anything could be heard inside, then quickly rushed inside, locking the door behind me as I stepped further into the empty area.

I flicked on the lights and walked over to my Skimmer slowly, almost as though I was sneaking up on it. I came over and softly rubbed the seat.

"Hello, old girl..." I whispered to her. She groaned a little in the cold of the under-heated room, and I sat on the seat to keep her warm.

"There, there... it's alright now... you'll be okay..." I ran my hands across the cold metal of her handlebars, closing my eyes as I thought back to the first time we met...

_Flashback: 12 Years Ago_

I walked along with Krala, trying to keep pace with her as she led me to my new quarters. I kept going, stopping dead in my tracks when she cleared her throat.

"Where do you think you're going, young man?" She said teasingly. I blushed a little as she walked over and led me back to my door.

"First, your room... _then_, if you're good, I'll show you your new Skimmer." She smirked, knowing full well I'd do anything to see it, even chop my own leg off... or someone else's...

"Aww, c'mon, Krala... just a peek... I promise, I'll be good..." I smiled really wide, and she chuckled softly.

"Alright, ya little troublemaker... c'mon, I'll take you to see her..." She led me down to the next deck, and I saw, for the first time, with my very own eyes, my brand new... beat up piece of junk.

"She needs a lot of work, but it's the only spare we have right now... if you can fix her up, she's all yours, Max... think you're up to the challenge?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I said eagerly.

I spent the next several days doing everything I could think of to bring her up to specs, even "borrowing" a few pieces from other skimmers. Nothing anyone noticed... until later... thankfully, Krala could take a joke...

_Present Day..._

I sighed softly, lost in my memory. The sudden sound of knives zipping past my ear brought me back to reality. One grazed the side of my head, and I grunted a little as I hit the floor.

"You always had a soft spot for this Skimmer, Max..." A familiar voice echoed in the hangar. I looked up to see Krala standing over me, poised to strike the killing blow. I laughed softly and stood back up, pulling her into a soft hug as I regained my footing.

"It's been so long, Krala..." I said lovingly, looking into her eyes. What I saw looking back at me was not the happiness I expected to see.

"Max, something's happened... I need your help..."


	17. Chapter 17

Krala's POV

_It's been so long since I've seen Max... I wonder if he still cares about the Silver Ravens... at least, the way he used to care, anyway.._

"So, what can we do for you, Krala?" The redhead at the end of the table seemed to be the leader of this group. Why Max would even take orders from a human, let alone a teenager, I'll probably never know. But that wasn't the bigger issue right now.

"I'm here for _Max's_ help with a personal issue. It's nothing we can't handle..." I eyed the hybrid from across the room. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"Krala, no offense, but we kind of have a job to do here, trying to find and stop the Dark Ace... don't know if that matters to you at all, but-"

"I'm going, Starling..." Max finally spoke up. He stood to his full height, looking down at me from above. I smiled slyly; I knew he'd be easy to win over. It was his team that would give me the biggest grief.

"Max, you're part of another team, now... you can't just-"

"If you met another Interceptor, one who'd somehow managed to survive being attacked by Repton, and they came to you for help, don't pretend you wouldn't do anything to help them..." He eyed the purple-haired Sky Knight dangerously. I frowned a bit.

"Max, I won't force you to go... if you're needed here, then stay; I'll find someone else to help me..." I turned to leave, but he stopped me by stepping into my path.

"You're not doing this without me, Krala... that's all there is to it..." He smiled a little, showing me his perfectly white teeth. I sighed; nothing I said was going to change his mind now.

"Alright, alright... but honestly, you don't _have_ to go with me, Max..." I smiled softly, knowing his answer.

"Krala, we need Max's help bringing in the Dark Ace... besides, you really think we're just gonna let you take him? What about the rest of us?" Starling smiled slyly, eyeing the rest of the Storm Hawks as they nodded their agreement. I sighed again, knowing I'd just end up having to deal with them anyway.

"Fine, we'll _all_ go..." I said flatly. The teenagers cheered loudly, and Max pulled up alongside me as I walked toward the bridge exit.

"So, what is this mission, anyway?" He said quietly. I smiled a bit, and pulled him away from the others, lowering my voice.

"We're going after the Dark Ace, to avenge the loss of the Silver Ravens..." His eyes widened slightly. I cringed, waiting for him to explode. Then, it came.

"WE'RE WHAT!?" He yelled at the top of his lungs, alerting the others as they looked up to see what was happening. Starling's eyebrow shot up as I turned back to Max.

"Max, calm down! It's not like you didn't have a clue before now..." I said calmly. He stared me in the face, growling loudly.

"Oh, no... _I'm _going to kill that bastard! No one crosses me and gets away with it!" He pulled the kamas from his back, and quickly exited the bridge. I followed, trying to keep pace with his long stride.

"Max, you can't do this alone! You're going to get yourself killed, just like the others!" I yelled after him, hoping he'd stop and talk. No such luck with this one...

"I'm better than the others! You know that! I _will_ be the one to kill him, even if it's the last thing I ever do!" He turned into the hangar bay, and promptly mounted his Skimmer. I chased after him, all the way down to the end of the runway. When he finally flew off, I sighed in defeat and walked back to the bridge.

_A few minutes later..._

"He did what!?" Starling yelled in surprise. I didn't blame her; he'd never been this rash before.

"C'mon, we have to stop him... it's for his own good..." Suddenly, we heard a soft thud on the roof, a sound only flesh against metal could make. We scrambled up to the roof, hoping no one we loved was dead. When we finally reached the spot where the body was laying, the thing that struck me was the uniform; it was Cyclonian. I wasn't the Dark Ace; at least, I didn't think it was. His head had been crudely severed; it was ripped off, not cut or slashed. That meant only one thing; Max was losing control, and he'd kill anyone who stood in the way of his goal.

I slouched a bit, hoping the others didn't pick up on the development's significance. Starling did, but she said nothing. Aerrow, on the other hand, had to get in one last, heroic line.

"Alright... pack it in, Storm Hawks... we've got a friend to save..."


	18. Chapter 18

Max's POV

I steadied myself as I flew along at low speed. I knew the _Condor_ would soon be along to try to stop me, but I felt confident I could reach my destination before then. The propeller behind me chopped loudly through the thick morning air. I'd hidden myself in a cloud bank, just above and behind Ravess' flagship. It seemed she'd been summoned home to Cyclonia. Lucky for me; it meant a free ride to my destination.

I slid in behind the massive ship, latching on with the grappling claw before reeling myself in. I quickly stuck my head in through a porthole nearby, and when I saw the coast was clear, I jumped inside. As I stalked through the dimly lit hallways, I heard a myriad of voices; one that stuck out was that of Cyclonis. _I wonder what she's doing here..._

"What seems to be the problem, Ravess?" The lavender-haired control freak turned to her hooded master with a respectful bow.

"We have an intruder onboard, Master... nothing my guards can't handle..." Ravess turned as one of her henchmen came in from the side. Just as I readied my assault, something caught the periphery of my vision. I turned around, to see a Myrall bird fluttering quietly. I shushed the creature, and watched as it walked over and nuzzled against my hand.

"Arygyn, this isn't the time for your games!" I whispered angrily. The shapeshifter transformed back into his normal form, and crouched alongside me.

"So, planning to take out Cyclonis once and for all, eh? Pretty sneaky there, cowboy..." He eyed my kamas as I pulled them free.

Arygyn's POV

_Okay, the kid's truly gifted, but he's an idiot if he thinks he can take out Cyclonis alone... better get 'im some help..._

"Look, son..." I cringed a little as he turned to glare at me. _Onyxians are not known for extensive use of their social skills... _

"You're gonna need help if you're gonna take her out... there's no way you can do it alone, alright?" I cringed a bit more when he continued glaring at me.

"Why don't I go get the Storm Hawks to help? They can be pretty helpful when the situation-"

"The Storm Hawks are only going to get in my way... and right now, so are _you_..." He said dangerously. It's not a good idea to stand between an Onyxian and something he wants. I sighed softly; I was getting nowhere.

"You're gonna get yourself killed, kid..." He slapped me across the face.

"Don't call me 'kid'..."

"Can do, chief..." I said, almost under my breath. I transformed back into a Myrall bird and began to slowly sneak my way back out when he stopped me a final whisper.

"_Don't_ invite them to my party just yet... the decorations still need work..." He grinned evilly, and jumped, about 30 feet, to the floor below. I couldn't help but fly off, shaking my head.

_Several Hours Later..._

Arygyn's POV

I arrived too late; the Storm Hawks were already well within Cyclonian territory. I hurriedly flew in through an open window near the bridge, transforming back to my normal self as I landed.

"Arygyn? What're you doing here?" Starling pulled some of her purple hair out of her eyes, and I smiled a bit to her.

"Hey, Starling... still good lookin', I see..." She narrowed her eyes as I cleared my throat nervously.

"What's up, Arygyn?" Aerrow came up to me, eyes wide with excitement.

"Oh, hey, kid... got an update on Genius..." I watched as the Merb (_what's his name, you know...) _eyed me suspiciously.

"Who?" Piper said, clearly confused.

"Max... your missing crewmember's on Ravess' flagship, probably getting hauled off to the brig as we speak..." I said softly. I hoped they didn't hear the last part. Starling did, maybe a few others (_I'll call him_ _'Merbie'_...).

"What? Take us there, now!" She slid closer to me, eyes flashing with panic.

"Too late... we're here, guys..." Merbie said from the helm. We both turned to look. Ravess' flagship had come to a stop on a floating outpost, seemingly undamaged.

"Guys, c'mon..."

Starling's POV

We ran down the halls of the deserted flagship, desperately hoping Max was okay. But, after nearly half an hour of searching the ship, we didn't find him; that is, until we saw the bridge. That's when I knew where he'd gone. I ran out of the room, crying softly as I left the others behind. A note on the wall, written in black blood, said,

"We have Max... he's alive for now, but he won't be much longer... just thought you should know... signed, M.C."


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: This chapter describes what happened to Max after Arygyn left...

Max's POV

_I can't wait to see the look on their faces when I bring Cyclonis' dead body back to the _Condor_..._

I watched as the Cyclonians continued to talk among themselves. As Arygyn transformed and started to shuffle away, I jumped down to greet the unsuspecting fools below. Somehow, I had to kill Cyclonis _and_ manage to elude capture long enough to return home. I held my kamas out in front of me as I landed, and as soon as my feet hit the floor, I slashed the 2 closest guards in half. Cyclonis and Ravess both turned to see what was going on, and I leapt forward just as Ravess drew her bow. I easily sliced through it, taking off the ends of her fingers in the process. Her screams of pain were drowned out by the panicked shouting of the other guards, who were just now trying to mount an effort to repel me.

"Max... so glad you could join us..." The Empress turned and pulled free her staff, just in time to avoid being beheaded. I jumped back and readied myself for another attack, but seeing the guards circle around, I rethought my position.

"Sorry I didn't invite any friends... had to be a bit more subtle than normal..." I smiled slyly, tightening the muscles in my legs before I pounced. I missed hitting her throat by less than an inch, the Dark Ace managing to get in my way in the nick of time.

"Sorry to crash the party, Master... couldn't let you have all the fun..." His double-bladed sword glowed a bright red, and I heard the crackle of power arcing between our weapons.

"You...!" I swept his feet out from under him, managing to catch him in the air with my left foot, as I leaned back to avoid his blade.

"You're not fast enough, human..." I began to tighten my grip around his throat, slowly crushing his windpipe as I did. I felt the sting of striker bolts along my back, and I knew the guards had opened fire, trying desperately to save their Commander.

"You can't kill me, remember?" The Talon choked out. Those were his last words. I snapped his neck loudly, throwing his limp body into the gaggle of guards.

"Dark Ace!?" Cyclonis shouted loudly in anguish. She leapt forward and caught the side of my face with her staff. I pulled my kamas up and tried to drive one into her chest, but she had me on the floor before I could finish her, pinned beneath her staff.

"Close, but not close enough..." Her voice took on an evil inflection, and I knew her anger was beginning to boil over. I couldn't help but smile.

"What's wrong? Did I kill your mate?" I caught her off guard with my remark, which gave me time to kick free of her pin. I pulled my legs in, pressing both feet into her chest, and pushed with all my waning might. She sailed across the room, right into the wall. She let out a loud yelp of pain as she slammed into it with sickening force. I heard what I thought was the sound of her back breaking, but she got up moments later, bringing her staff to bear.

"You'll pay for killing him..." She eyed me angrily, which made me laugh.

"You'll _die_ before that'll happen..." I eyed her with fierce determination, but only moments before I could bring my kamas up and leap over to slash her throat, Ravess shot me in the back. Judging from the lack of serious pain, there was a Paralyzer Crystal in the arrow.

"Not so big and tough now, are you, Max?" She said dangerously. My eyes closed as she stood over me, readying the final blow. I knew then I had failed...

To Be Continued...


	20. Chapter 20

Max's POV

_I can't believe I'm a prisoner of Cyclonia... again... it's been so long since I've been in prison... this is it, I suppose; my final hour..._

"Get up. Master Cyclonis wants a word with you." Ravess stared at me through the bars of my cell. I stood to my full height, slowly made my way to the door, and sneered disgustedly before turning around and sitting back down.

"You're lucky to be alive right now... I should have killed you when I had the chance-"

"But you didn't, and now your empress is angry with you..." I smiled slyly, knowing it would get a rise out of her. She scowled and pulled out her bow, ready to strike. I stepped forward, softly pressing the tip off her arrow against my neck.

"Go ahead... do it..." I tried goading her into killing me; for some reason, it didn't work. She settled back down and sheathed her weapon.

"Nice try, Max... you're even more clever than Master Cyclonis let on..." She smiled a little, before slowly opening the cell door, guards standing on either side of her with crystal-tipped spears ready.

"Now, be good, or I'll paralyze you again, and have you carried there like a sack of potatoes." She warned. I ignored the foul tone in her voice, and slowly walked out. For some reason, they hadn't bound me, which I found to be a laughable mistake. I didn't realize, at least at the time, that the Storm Hawks wouldn't be coming soon enough to rescue me.

As I was led down the dimly-lit corridors of the Cyclonis' palace, I eyed a familiar face among the hordes of Talons. I could've sworn it was the Dark Ace. _Must be a side effect of the Paralyzer Stone..._

"Here we are... Cyclonis' inner sanctum. I'm afraid you'll be going in alone." She and her guards shoved me in, slamming the door shut before I could get back out. My eyes quickly adjusted to the absolute darkness in the room, and I scanned it thoroughly. I half-expected for a group of Talons to jump out and try to finish me off. But, no matter how far in I went, no one could be seen. Finally, I reached an area that seemed to be where Cyclonis would be, if she was present at all. The dim lights came on with a sudden "click", and I found myself surrounded by Nightcrawlers. _These bastards... I should have known they'd show up..._

"Glad you could join us, Maximillian... have a seat... relax..." Cyclonis' voice seemed to be everywhere as she spoke, and the Nightcrawlers quickly subdued me, strapping me into a chair in the middle of this massive chamber. Cyclonis stepped into the dim light around said chair, and I eyed her angrily.

"What do you want, witch?" I spat, ready to rip off my arms to get to her. She stood in silence, waved away the Nightcrawlers, and waited for them to leave before continuing.

"I'm afraid you're in serious trouble now, Max... killing my Talon Commander, sneaking aboard one of my ships, attacking many innocent troops..."

"Innocent!? Hardly! They got in my way-"

"And _that_ is exactly why you are here, instead of on Death Row... you care _nothing_ for human life... you're a murderer, a liar, and a psycho..."

"Takes one to know one, I think..." I smiled as she fumed. She curled her hands into fists, but said nothing as she began to calm. She suddenly let out a soft laugh, before walking just a bit closer to stare into my eyes.

"I've been thinking about what to do with you... clearly, you deserve to die... but killing you would a terrible waste..." She eyed me with a curious look, waiting for my response. When I said nothing, she kept going.

"I'm going to offer you a choice, Max... you can either work for me, taking over for the Dark Ace as commander of the Talons, or... I'll kill your precious Storm Hawks, one by one, forcing you to watch... and then I'll kill you..." Her lips curled into an evil smile. I laughed loudly, making her smile become a scowl.

"That's not a choice... that's a ultimatum... and I'll never work for you!" I spat at her feet, further emphasizing my point. She calmly walked over, and just as I thought she'd snap, she began to massage my shoulders. Slowly, she began to work my tense muscles. I fought her with all my strength, not realizing she wasn't trying to hurt me. When my muscles loosened under her grip, I groaned in protest. She ignored it.

"I've been studying Onyxian physiology, and I've learned a few things that might just come in handy... for instance, I happen to know that your most vulnerable spot isn't your genitals, like in most races... it's right here..." She jabbed her extended fingertips into my left shoulder blade, and I couldn't help but cry out in agony. Her lips regained the sadistic smile she wore so well.

"Strange how one so strong could be brought down so easily..." She jabbed me again, harder than before, only this time, I shifted slightly to the right, making her miss hitting the same place twice.

"Smart, Max... but I'm in control here... you have 2 choices; work for me, or die slowly..." I sighed loudly, unable to decide what was worse; betraying the Atmos, or dying horribly. I stared into her heartless eyes, and nodded softly. Her eyebrows shot up in confusion.

"Which one is it, Max? I need to hear you say it!" She yelled loudly into my ear.

"If you spare the Storm Hawks... I will serve you..." I said softly. She squealed in victorious pleasure.

"I _knew_ you were just as selfish as I am... now, if only I can keep you interested-"

"Interested!? In what!? I'm only doing this so you'll spare my comrades! As soon as I find even one moment of weakness, I will kill you and display your broken body on the steps of your palace!" I yelled angrily, trying to release myself from the restraints. She laughed loudly.

"Strong words, Max... but I have a feeling you're going to do whatever I say..."

To Be Continued...


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Sorry about the long update time... had a bunch of crap to deal with... also, this one's not in anyone's POV... thought I'd try something different...

"Rise, Max..." Cyclonis ordered sternly. The Grey Ghost stirred from his slumber, groaning in protest.

"Go away... I'm trying to sleep..." He growled softly as she placed her gloved hand on his shoulder. He groaned in pain as she dug her knees into his back, using the momentum to force him onto his feet.

"Good... I see you're awake now... I'll excuse that first little indiscretion as you still being half-asleep... now, come with me; we have some work to do before your first mission..." The Onyxian obeyed without a word, following his "master" silently.

"Now, Max, I know you don't _want_ to be here, but you _will_ do as I say, at least for now... after I have learned that I can trust you, I _may_ allow you more freedom to come and go as you please... we'll see when the time comes..." They reached their destination; the outer landing zone of the palace.

"I've had your Skimmer upgraded to more recent standards... you'll notice the changes pretty quickly, I believe..." He fawned over his ride, checking it for structural damage. When he was satisfied with its appearance, he straddled the seat and brought the engines online.

"Not so fast, Max... I have a little surprise for you... I think you'll enjoy it..." She pointed to the _Scimitar_, which sat idly in a nearby hangar. His eyes flashed with anger, but it quickly subsided. He shut down his Skimmer's engines, dismounting it slowly. As he drew closer, he looked over the old bird, checking it for damage. It was surprisingly well cared for while in Cyclonian hands.

"What have you done to my ship?" He queried. Cyclonis laughed lightly.

"Your ship is fine, Max... it's likewise been upgraded... see for yourself..." She watched him look over the once-proud carrier, eyeing every hull plate with suspicion.

Meanwhile...

"Shhh... Starling, it's okay... Max is okay, hun... you've just gotta have faith..." Piper nervously comforted the sobbing Mesan. She'd cried almost nonstop on the way back to the _Condor_, no matter what anyone had said. Even Finn tried his hand at cheering her up, but to everyone's chagrin, it only seemed to make things worse. Finn DID have that effect on people, though...

"You don't understand, Piper... Max is too strong to serve Cyclonis... he's gonna die rather than give up any secrets... and if he believes, even for a fraction of a second, that no one's coming to save him, he won't hesitate to end it all..." She resumed sobbing loudly. Finally, Stork came over, and unexpectedly pulled the woman into a soft hug.

"Hush, now... Max has been through worse, Starling... he'll be fine... for now..." He then promptly turned to Aerrow. The redhead sat helplessly nearby, trying to find some comforting words.

"We HAVE to go back for him, Aerrow... he's gonna do something we'll _all_ regret..." He said menacingly. A sudden flash of black and grey brought everyone back to reality.

"What was that?" Piper asked, sighting the object in question through one of the periscopes. Stork grabbed the other, and quickly retreated as a sharp blast ruptured the viewport.

"I-it's... i-it's..." He stuttered unintelligibly, frightened beyond measure. Aerrow quickly jumped to his feet.

"What is it, Stork?" Piper finally eyed the thing, and gasped softly. She, too, was knocked off her feet by a sharp blast.

"It's Max!" She suddenly found her voice, just as the tall warrior crashed onto the bridge.

"Surprise!" He yelled loudly, teeth and kamas barred for the kill...

Cliffhanger, ahoy!


	22. Chapter 22

As the Storm Hawks stared into Max's eyes, they couldn't help but wonder if he'd been brainwashed. _Never_ had he seemed so angry in all the years Starling had known him.

"Max, what're you-" Before she could get her answer, he was gone, leaving only the wind to whistle in through the new hole.

"Where'd he go!? Where'd he go!?" Finn said frantically. Aerrow and Starling scanned the room, looking for any sign of him. Suddenly, Aerrow felt a sharp pain in his back, strong enough to bring him to his knees as he cried out in agony. He felt his warm blood slowly trickle down his back, and he clutched the wound as best he could. He looked over to Starling with a look of panic in his eyes. Not a moment later, another cry of agony, this time from Junko. His left forearm was split right down the middle. Finally, Starling had seen enough.

"Max, I know you're still in here... come out and fight me like a man!" She challenged, quickly drawing her nunchucks. Max suddenly swooped down from above, landing on the metal floor with a loud "thump".

"You rang?" He said sinisterly. His eyes held an emotion she knew all too well; hate. He lunged forward at lightning speed, nearly cutting her in half as she blocked him. His ferocity was soon too much for even a veteran Sky Knight like her, and she was quickly subdued and forced onto the ground, pinned by his strong legs, with her arms held firmly behind her back.

"Now, if you'll excuse me... I have a job to do..." He suddenly leapt up and disappeared from sight, but they heard him clawing his way back aft, toward the engine room. Starling managed to regain her composure quickly and stood up as Piper finally found the will to move.

"Aerrow, are you okay?" She looked him over, eyeing the huge gash across his back.

"I'll be fine... but we have to stop Max... who knows what he's planning..."

"Junko, you okay, too?" She turned her worried look toward Junko, who still held his arm tightly. His blood dripped softly onto the floor as he stood there, still unable to move. After a second, he nodded and groaned a bit as he shifted the position of his fingers, letting them apply pressure more evenly.

"Finn, you stay here and take care of Junko and Aerrow... Stork, you and I are going to help Starling stop Max..." The Merb cringed as he heard his name. He obviously didn't want to fight his brother, but what choice did he have?

"Stork, are you coming?" Starling said as they approached the bridge door. He nodded nervously and quickly followed after them.

_Meanwhile..._

"Max, you've done well so far... keep this up, and I'll have no choice but to keep my promise not to destroy them..." Cyclonis whispered to Max as they stood near the engine core. The glow of the engine crystals lit up their faces as the sorceress slowly pulled out one crystal after another. The swish of the door opening and closing told them they had company.

"Max, stall them..." She commanded quietly. The Onyxian nodded sternly, and leapt up to attack from above.

"Stop right there, Cyclonis..." Starling called out from behind her. The tyrant turned to look at them, eyeing the group with suspicion.

"Don't tell me... you're here to stop my evil plan, right?" She laughed lightly as they nodded in anger.

"You have no idea what my plan is, and yet you're no closer to stopping it... I'm afraid my 'plan' is already too far ahead..." Max suddenly jumped down from above, landing right in front of the group. Cyclonis laughed loudly as his face twisted into an angry scowl.

"Max, you're not really going to-"

"What are you orders... Master?" He said softly. The sorceress laughed lightly.

"Make sure they don't alert the others... other than that, feel free to be creative..."

After a moment's silent acknowledgement between Cyclonis and Max, he leapt forward, cloaking all 3 of them in darkness...

_Several Hours Later..._

"Wake up, idiots..." Ravess yelled through the bars of their cell. The captured Hawks stirred slowly, groaning in displeasure as they awoke from their somewhat peaceful sleep.

"Welcome to your new home..." Max's soft but stern voice loomed ahead of them, and as the trio stood up, they found themselves locked in a cage on the _Scimitar_'s bridge.

"Max, where are we?" Starling said softly. He snarled a bit as he turned to face them.

"You're right where you should be..." He replied callously. Her eyes filled with tears as the venom dripped from his voice.

"Max, what's happened to you?" She said as she began to break down.

"I've had my eyes opened, Starling... for the first time in my life, I see everything so clearly..." His voice held a sad tone she knew well, mostly from when they'd worked undercover before; it was a call for help. The dim light of the bridge allowed them no chance to see his face, but she knew he hadn't changed. He couldn't have... could he?

"Welcome home, Max." Cyclonis stood closer to the hybrid, loosely dangling her hand on his shoulder. As Cyclonia filled the forward observation window, nothing else needed to be said. They were going home, alright; a new home.

To Be Continued...


	23. Chapter 23

Max stalked through the halls of Cyclonis' palace, contemplating his friends' situation. He couldn't just waltz in and grab them, but he also couldn't leave them there on Cyclonia. His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.

"Max, I have a new mission for you... one only _you_ can complete..." Master Cyclonis spoke softly, unsure of how to address the emotionally-divided warrior.

"Alright... what is it you want done?" He responded quietly.

"Terra Onyx has something I want, and I need you to go and get it for me..." She narrowed her eyes as she continued. "You see, I've become aware of a crystal that can bring the dead back to life... I believe you're familiar with the story?" She handed him a painting, and his eyes widened.

"Have you lost your mind!? I can't _steal_ the Chakra Stone; it's too well guarded, even for me..."

"Try, Max... even if you fail, you _will_ try..." She said dangerously.

"... Very well, Master." He replied after a few tense moments of silence.

"Oh, and... happy kligfelt..." She began to walk off.

"_What!?_" Max said dangerously, with a semi-hidden undertone of disbelief. Cyclonis turned in confusion.

"I said 'happy kligfelt', Max... is that a problem?" She asked curiously; obviously, her Onyxian needed work.

"Yes, because it's pronounced '_kligfeld_', not '_kligfelt_'..." He answered sternly. Clearly, her meaning hadn't gotten through.

"Well, in that case, happy birthday!" She retorted, now becoming frustrated.

"How'd you even find out!? It's not like you can just look in some newspaper and see it printed in big, bold letters!" His tone told her something was off; his outburst wasn't about his birthday.

"Max, what's wrong with you?" She finally tried to end the conversation by forcing him into a corner. Unfortunately, she got an unexpected answer.

"I'm 23!!" He yelled, echoing loudly in the hallway.

"So!?"

"So, I haven't done anything worth remembering!!" He turned away from her. Apparently, it was something he regretted saying.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" She demanded. He became noticeably saddened.

"Every generation is expected to produce something the last couldn't. Otherwise, we all die out."

"What does that have to do with your birthday?" She queried confusedly. He glared at her, but continued with a sigh.

"All of my idols from childhood – Treygal the Brave, Halten the Merciless, Koontar the Wise – they all did their most memorable things before they hit 23... I haven't done anything _close_ to what they've done..." He began to walk away. The tyrant followed him with her eyes as he left.

"Where are you going?" Cyclonis queried.

"To complete my mission, Master... where else?" He replied slyly. She left him go; she had more immediate concerns to deal with...

_Meanwhile..._

"Finn, a little to the right." Aerrow commanded, and the blond stepped right a hair. The redhead standing on his shoulders nearly lost his footing, but managed not to fall again. He'd made 3 previous tries to escape their cell and go for help; so far, no such luck.

"Good. Hold it here." The Sky Knight reached as far as he could, trying to work his arm over the wall of the open-top cell. He had just managed to reach a ledge nearby with his fingertips when Ravess came storming through the door. Aerrow, startled by the Talon's sudden entrance, lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, landing flat on his back for the 4th time.

"Max was right; you really _don't_ know when to quit..." She laughed a bit as she surveyed the prison. In the far corner, Stork had curled up into the fetal position, with Piper comfortingly rubbing his back, whispering something in his ear. Junko was sitting quietly a few feet from the door, a strange sight for the raven-haired violinist. Radarr stood over Aerrow as he and Finn helped the Sky Knight back to his feet. Starling was nowhere to be found, but she already knew why; she'd been placed in a separate cell, trying to keep her isolated until she could be dealt with. Max had insisted on it, and Cyclonis granted his request.

"Everyone to your feet. Master Cyclonis has decided you're worth keeping around for awhile. You should feel honored by such compassion..." She said darkly. The teenagers shared a look of concern.

"Where's Starling?" Aerrow demanded boldly. Ravess merely laughed in response.

"Nowhere that you can get to." His eyes narrowed in anger as the Talon moved to open the cell, several armed Nightcrawlers flanking to ensure cooperation. With a loud _clank_, the prison door unlocked and slid open. As they filed out, one-by-one, they were put into shackles and led to another holding cell, this one much larger and filled with other captured Atmosians. Many of the prisoners seemed to recognize the Storm Hawks as they were ushered in.

"No! Please, God, no!"

"This can't be happening! The Storm Hawks have been captured!?"

"All hope is lost!"

The cries of demoralized prisoners flooded their ears as the door closed behind them, drowning out the loud echo of Ravess' taunting laughter...

To be continued...

Author's Note: Sorry, it's been too long since I've updated... I'll try to post them up more often... been a bit distracted for awhile... should be back on track soon, though...


	24. Chapter 24

The music that blasted away inside Max's room drew a curious Cyclonis to his door. The rip of death metal pulsated through it as she leaned in closer. When she finally opened the door, the music rushed out into the hallway at an unearthly volume, knocking the sorceress into the wall behind her. Suddenly, the record stopped playing, and as Cyclonis stood to her feet, helped up by several guards, Max slowly appeared from the dark room. He wore his trademark smirk, one that silently spoke volumes.

"Can I help you, Master?" He asked slyly, knowing full well his music had taken her off her feet. His smirk widened into a smile as she glared at him angrily. Her face was red with rage, and her hands shook as they curled into fists.

"You, y-you... just WHAT were you doing in there that needed to be covered up by that... what _was_ that, anyway!? Was that even music!?" She shrieked indignantly, furious he had the gall to insult her by feigning innocence. He knew what he did, and that smile on his face only made her angrier. Although, she had to admit; he usually brightened her mood with his mere presence. As his smile widened, she began to calm down. He had a certain... charm; a dark soul trapped in a hero's body. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she sensed a great evil within him, and that drew her to him like a moth to flame.

"A classic..." He replied matter-of-factly. She smirked a bit herself. She had never heard anything like it. It suited him, as far as she was concerned.

"How long have you been in there?" She queried. He shrugged in response. At this, she giggled a bit. Clearly confused by her reaction, Max raised one eyebrow.

"I didn't think you knew how to laugh..." He said facetiously. She giggled a bit more, shoving his shoulder lightly. This made him chuckle along with her. Suddenly, he realized who he was kidding around with, and managed to regain his composure.

"I should probably begin making plans for my mission... gotta get that crystal before they move it aga-" He was interrupted by an abrupt kiss from the sorceress, who now clung to him as she pushed him up against the wall. He managed to wrestle free of her surprisingly strong grip and stared into her eyes as he collected his thoughts. He saw something in them he never thought could exist in such an evil woman; loneliness, complete and utter loneliness. Such an intense feeling of despair followed loneliness that one often did things that one wouldn't otherwise do. She silently begged him closer, every inch of her face plastered with desperation. He refused, willing himself further from her grasp. He managed to break free from her longing embrace, and ran down the hallway as fast as his legs would carry him. He never saw the tears that fell from the tyrant's eyes...

_Meanwhile..._

"I can't believe that worked!" Piper said in amazement. The Storm Hawks were finally free, and she couldn't admit to herself that she enjoyed watching how they got out.

"I know! That fake heart attack idea is the oldest one in the book, and they totally fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker..." Finn said confidently. Aerrow chuckled next to him as the party followed behind their "patient", who lay strapped to a stretcher being pushed by Junko. Radarr, who sat on Junko's shoulder, looked down at him with a smirk as he opened one eye.

"Can I please move now? I'm getting a cramp in my leg..." Stork whispered. They all laughed. Well, except for Stork.

"Guys, I'm serious..." He pleaded, a bit louder this time. Piper giggled and released his restraints. As he sat up on the stretcher, he ran his hands over his sore wrists. He couldn't believe they'd talked him into doing that.

"Next time you guys wanna use that trick, kindly leave me out of it..." The Merb said tiredly. Aerrow walked up behind him and patted his back.

"We couldn't have done it without you, Stork... you were pretty convincing..."

"Yeah... for a second, I thought you really _were_ having a heart attack..." Finn admitted. Stork glared at the blond angrily.

"For a second, _I_ thought I was having a heart attack..." The pilot said worriedly.

"Now, onto more important things..."

"Like breaking out Starling..." Piper told the redhead as she walked alongside, finally reaching the bridge. If only it were that simple...

Author's Note: I know, I know... updates are getting harder for me... hope to have a new chapter of "Just Like Me" finished this week, though...


	25. Chapter 25

"Max, have you managed to acquire the crystal yet, or should I just send someone else to do it for you?" Cyclonis called through Max's locked door. She respected his privacy... to a point. But now, he was trying her patience.

"Master, what an _unexpected_ surprise..." The Onyxian said darkly, walking up behind her silently. He held out a solid-black crystal, which glowed a dim black as it softly hummed with power.

"Is this-?"

"Yes, Cyclonis... the Chakra Stone... one of the most powerful crystals in the entire Atmos..." Max pulled it away from her as she reached out for it, cradling it in his arms protectively.

"Ah-ah-ah... careful, human... it's not likely to accept you as its master..." He suddenly stated haughtily.

"What do you mean by that!?" The sorceress queried angrily. As she watched in disbelief, he began walking away from her, heading toward the coroner's wing where the body of the Dark Ace now lay.

"Where are you going, Max!?" She called, and began following him after unleashing an indignant scream. As they neared the body of the Dark Ace, Max signaled her to stay back. Firmly grasping the strangely finger-shaped left side of the Stone, he raised it over his head and began chanting in Onyxian.

"Max, what're you...?" As she watched in amazement, the Dark Ace began to glow a bright black, and his once-limp hands twitched ever so slightly. Her eyes slowly widened as Max was engulfed in a similar hue of light.

"Oh, my God..." Cyclonis whispered softly; she was beside herself with excitement. Max's chanting grew a bit louder, and as he suddenly ended the ancient incantation, the Dark Ace's eyes shot open. He gasped for air, clutching his chest as he believed he was still being choked. When he realized where he was, he regained his composure and slowly stood upright.

"Master... what happened to me?" He asked softly; it seemed that he still needed time for his strength to return. His knees nearly gave out as he let go of the medical bay, Cyclonis rushing to his side worriedly.

"You died, human... _that's_ what happened..." Max finally spoke again, his voice laced with venom. The older man shot Max a look of surprise and went straight for his sword. With no crystal in it, having been removed for use elsewhere, he brandished the powerless weapon menacingly.

"Master, look out!" He lunged for the Onyxian's throat. Max slipped right to dodge, knocking the human to the floor with a short-arm clothesline. He placed one hand over the sharp blades as he leaned in closer, his hand slowly trickling black blood as he struggled with the Dark Ace. One 3-toed foot had been firmly placed on his stomach, pinning him where he was. As the shorter human looked up at his aggressor, he saw how unfazed he was by the pain emanating from his bleeding fingers.

"You're not very thankful, human... I just brought you back to the land of the living..." He disarmed the Talon Commander, pointedly shoving him in the chest. As he let the Dark Ace up, the 2 locked eyes once more.

"Dark Ace, Max is right... he _did_ bring you back for me..." Cyclonis' voice held a strange mix of awe and pleasure. Max rolled his eyes.

"It's not that big of a deal, Master... this powerful stone has existed for as least 5,000 years..." He responded with passionate disinterest. The Dark Ace scowled in disgust.

"To think I owe my life to-"

"You owe your life to _me_, Dark Ace. If I hadn't sent Max to retrieve the stone, you'd still be dead." Cyclonis answered icily. The Talon bowed respectfully but said nothing in response. Again, Max merely rolled his eyes.

"Now, Cyclonis... about our deal..." He slowly made his way closer.

"You're not finished yet, Max... there's 1 more thing I need you to do..."

"What's that, _Master_?"

"...Return the Stone to Onyx." She replied softly. Max raised one eyebrow.

"Why should I do that?"

"Because I asked you to, Max... isn't that enough for you to return a sacred object?"

"I honestly don't care whether it is returned or not... mere curiosity drives my question..."

"Well, I no longer have any need for its power, so there would seem to be no real reason for me to keep it, is there?"

"I suppose not, Cyclonis..." The Dark Ace stared wide-eyed at the pair.

"I don't believe this, Master! You're truly going to have him return such a powerful crystal to the Onyxians!?" The sorceress turned to glare at the Dark Ace. He cringed slightly, only to receive a soft smile from the young tyrant.

"Don't worry, Dark Ace... I have complete faith that Max will remain by my side to the end... just as I have complete faith in _you_..." The Talon Commander bowed respectfully.

"Of course, Master... my apologies for ever doubting you..." Cyclonis laughed lightly.

"What you just expressed was not doubt, Dark Ace... it was uncertainty..."

"Of course, Master, you do realize that the Storm Hawks are still out there..." Max stated suddenly. The sorceress raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how can you be sure they've escaped from my prison?"

"Because they're the Storm Hawks, Master... they've gotten out of worse situations than being locked in a dungeon..." The hybrid replied cryptically. Cyclonis scoffed dismissively.

"They are _nothing_ without you, Max... I've seen how you fight: such intense ferocity and blinding speed. They don't stand a chance against you, not even all of them together..."

"But I will not fight them, Cyclonis... nothing you can do to me would wash away the guilt of killing them..."

"Guilt? _You_, feeling guilt!?" Cyclonis laughed loudly. The Onyxian growled angrily and swiped her staff away, pointing it in her face menacingly. For a brief moment, he saw fear in the sorceress's normally-passionless eyes.

"Just not as much as you, _Master_..." He replied slyly.

"Alright, Max... you will instead go and recapture them..." She stated after a brief and awkward silence. He returned her staff to her and nodded compliantly.

"Master, what shall _I_ do?" The Dark Ace suddenly reentered the conversation.

"Stay here with me, Dark Ace... you haven't yet regained your full strength..."

"Very well..." He again bowed respectfully, not daring to anger her again. By now, Max had begun to leave. Cyclonis turned after him.

"Max, 1 more thing..."

"Yes, Master?"

"Betray me, and you won't be the only one who'll pay..." The hybrid stared at her a bit, blinked his eyes in confusion, and laughed hysterically. As he walked away, the sound of his taunting laughter followed him down the hallway...

To Be Continued..


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